Gotham's Light
by Winchestergirl123
Summary: Winifred Gordon's life takes an unexpected turn when she's sent to live with her dear uncle, James "Jim" Gordon. She knew the abrupt move to Gotham was going to bring changes into her life, but she had no idea by how much. Especially since her uncle is the new homicide detective there. Starts in season one. Eventual Jerome/OC.
1. Chapter 1: Mental illness sucks

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gotham or any of the characters. I only own my OC._

 **A/N:** _This is my first Gotham fanfic, so please excuse me if my writing is not good like the other writers in this awesome fandom. I do plan on staying to close to the shows plot, with only adding a few extra things involving my OC **Winifred Gordon.** The story will start of her in POV, but I plan on making it a full 3rd POV when we head into season 2. I am also planning on making this a eventual **Jerome/OC** story, but until **Jerome's** arrival **Winifred** is going to be interacting with other characters in the show as well. Since I think character development is indeed important with my story. So...I hope you guys like how this story starts off! Enjoy the first chapter. _

_**P.S.** **Winifred's** face-claim is **Elena Kampouris.**_

 ***Edited 1/26/17***

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 _"I will be stronger than my sadness._ _" ―_ _Jasmine Warga_

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 _ **Chapter 1: Mental illness sucks**_

My mother wasn't crazy. At least not to me anyways.

No, she just had some certain, umm... _issues._

But I would never ever call her crazy.

Like I said, she just had issues...like being severely mentally ill.

It wasn't her fault that she had the sheer luck of deveoping a horrific mental disorder.

 _Schizoaffective disorder_ , is what the doctors told me she had when they were checking her into the mental hospital.

When I first heard that name, I thought it was utterly ridiculous and fake. But let me tell you, this disorder is real and it was nowhere near being ridiculous. Especially not after witnessing what my mother had gone through because of it.

When getting more details about the disoder, the doctors told me that Schizoaffective is a mental disorder that causes a person to experience a combination of schizophrenia symptoms, along with having a mood disorder. Which is exactly what my mother unfortunately had. They said that she mostly likely had gotten it because of a chemical imbalance in her brain. Which was the more reasonable explanation, since there was no one else in our family line that had mental issues. Not that we knew of anyways. So genetics in her case was not the key to why she had this mental condition. So sadly, my mother just got the short end of the stick in the mental health department.

Except what's so unusual about this type of disorder is that it only affects about one percent of the population. Mainly female than males. Which made me bitter in the inside. Because why out of all the people in the world, did my mother have to be diagnosed with this wretched illness? I mean, it's not like I would want someone else to have this illness, but I _really_ didn't want my mother to have it.

But she did...and I was there when she had her mental break down.

I should have seen the signs more clearly. I should have gotten her help a lot sooner. I shouldn't have disregarded it, thinking it was nothing severe. I should have done _something._ But I didn't...

I watched her slowly become a former shell of herself.

Things started off small...barely noticable.

Her having trouble sleeping, not staying focused with her work, and making small talk with herself.

Which I honestly thought of it as nothing. But things soon took a turn for the worst.

Like her moods and paranoid thoughts.

My mother's moods were all over the place. On somedays she'd be happy and full on smiling. Always active and staying up late saying she was to wind up to sleep. While other days, she'd be sad, and wouldn't want to get up from bed. She'd refuse to leave her room or even our place. And in the middle of the night, I'd hear her cry. It deeply unsettled me, but like the fool that I was I didn't go looking for help. I just thought she needed more attention from me. So I tried to stay with her more, and gave her comfort and support.I took care of her, forgetting everything else, except for her well-being. But my caring towards her didn't help much...and that distressed me. I felt like I was failing her as a daughter.

What distressed me even more were her paranoid thoughts.

God, those were the worst.

My mother always thought that she was being followed. That someone was out to get her. When in reality there was no one wanting to cause her harm. But everytime I would say this to her, she'd just get more agitated. And every day and night, she'd lock up all the doors and windows (multiple times) and double check all the rooms, before she would be able to relax. But even during her "relax" mode, she still seemed very on edge with herself.

I knew then, after her paranoid thoughts increased, that I had to seek major help...this was way beyond what I thought I could handle.

Before I was able to do so, my mother had her infamous break down. Right in the middle our living room.

It wasn't pretty...and it hurts to even think about it...

So let's just say that the whole scene was a terrible thing to witness.

And it was that very same night, that my mother had been taken to the mental hospital.

Although it was thanks to our neighbors for that. They were the ones who called the police. The police came thinking there was a murder or something going on. When they saw it was my mother just having a severe break down, and then with me briefly explaining the situation, they were able to connect the dots. Realizing that my mother needed serious medical help. Because even if she didn't harm me phsically, she was more than capable of harming herself. The cuts on her hands from smashing our TV and picture frames, were enough proof of that. And even though I was relieved that she was finally getting the help she desperately needed, I was ardently sad that she was being taken a way from me.

She was after all the only parent I've ever had in my life. It's always just been the two of us. So what's a daughter without her mother?

I say that she's the only parent I've ever had, because my father wasn't apart of my life.

You see I've never met my father. I didn't even know his name, or how he looks like. This was because my mother never liked to talk about him. Not in the slightest. He was like this unspoken topic between us. Completely taboo.

All I really knew about him was that my mother met him along her high-school years. Dated and then she got pregnant by him at the age of eighteen. And supposedly after she told him she was pregnant, he left her. Just like that.

Which I know was a horrible thing for my father to do to her. I mean getting her pregnant at such a young age and then leaving her? Not cool. Luckily for my mother her brother, aka my uncle Jim was there to help her out.

My father's abandonment didn't give me much hope of him being a good person. But despite my ambivalent feelings towards him, he was still my _father._ I couldn't deny the curiosity I had about his identity. It didn't matter if he didn't want anything to do with my mother or me...I still wanted to know who he was.

My mother, despite unwilling to talk about him, did tell me one time that one day, later on when I was way older, that she'd finally be open about him. When the time was right.

Except when was the right time going to be now?

My mother was now officially consisdered unstable. So I doubt if I asked her this question, that she'd be able to give me a coherent answer.

I guess some secrets just aren't meant to be told...

So since my father wasn't apart of my life, and my mother was clearly unable to care for me, that left only one person left to be my guardian.

My dear uncle, James "Jim" Gordon.

The uncle who I haven't seen since I was ten years old. The last time I actually saw him, was before he left for the army.

Six years ago...that's along time without seeing each other.

Although it's not like there wasn't any contact between us. My mother and him kept in touch. Plus there was phonecalls and letters as well. But since he left for the army, we haven't had the time to see each other face to face.

It wasn't until recently, when I learned that I would be living with him, that he had gotten a job in Gotham City.

Apprantly he was now the new homoicide detective there. Which in my opinion, I had mixed feelings about that. But I knew that my uncle Jim had a heart of gold. He had an act for doing the right thing. He was one of those guys that was all for justice and for putting criminals behind bars. And that to me was honorable.

So overall, my uncle Jim was a good guy.

Which was why I wasn't nervous about moving in with him.

Okay...maybe I was a little nervous.

Can you blame me though? I was moving to a whole new city. One I've never been to before, but knew about its crime rate.

Except, I was going to be living with a detective, so my safety should be guaranteed, right?

I sighed, blowing a piece of wavy blonde hair away from my face.

Perhaps I should of had some coffee before coming to the airport. Coffee always did help my nerves. Speaking about nerves...

My stomach started to turn a bit. The realization that I was leaving the city I grew up, hit me hard. Boston is the one place I consider my home. But here I was leaving...

I knew I couldn't stay here anymore...I was still a minor. Sixteen years old, so I needed a legal guardian.

Leaning against the waiting airport seat, I placed my hands on my lap. I absently started playing with the charm bracelet I had on my wrist. The charm bracelet that my mother gave to me. It was a reminder of how she use to be...before...well you know.

I ran my fingers over it, trying my hardest to think positive thoughts.

I knew if my mother was still herself, she would have told me to look at this experience in a optimistic way.

 _"Always look on the bright side. Things may seem hard now, but think about the sun that radiates light. That will get you through."_

I began to feel better as my my mother's soothing humble voice entered my mind. The nerves that had been in my stomach began to go away, and I stopped playing with my charm bracelet. I gave myself a nod of determination, as the encouraging words of my mother went through my mind again.

"The light..." I muttered softly to myself. "Always think about the light."

 _"Now boarding flight 258, from Boston to Gotham. I repeat now boarding flight 258, from Boston to Gotham. Please enter through gate three. Thank you."_

I heard the voice over-con announce my flight number. I got up from my seat and grabbed my suitcase and bags with me. I managed to get my plane ticket out and after doing that I took a moment to collect myself.

This was it.

I was about to leave my home and go to a new one. I was going to see my uncle, who I haven't seen in years. The nerves grew in my again, but I tried pushing them to the side. I let my mother's words go through my mind again. Feeling less distressed, I made my way towards the entrance of my flight. I paused at the doorway and took a deep breath.

 _Come on Winifred, you can do this!_

Getting a hold of myself, I finally walked through the door. Upon taking my seat inside the plane, I started to feel anxious again. I couldn't help it. I kept wondering how my life with my uncle Jim in Gotham was going to be like.

Hopefully eventful...but I guess I'll just have to wait and see, won't I?


	2. Chapter 2: Hello Gotham

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Gotham or any of the characters. I own own my OC._

 ***Edited 1/27/17***

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 _"Ready for a new life."_ _―_ _Sylvia Path_

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 _ **Chapter 2: Hello Gotham**_

The plane ride from Boston to Gotham wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Much to my luck I ended up getting the window seat. So I got the nice view of the cloudy skies.

During the four hour flight I pretty much indulged my time with reading. _Jane Eyre_ was the novel I had read. This novel held important significance because my mother gave it to me for my fifteenth birthday last year. But besides it being a gift from my mother, the novel itself had become one of my favorites.

Unfortunately I ended up finishing the novel rather quickly, so for the rest of the flight I just drew in my sketch book.

Even though I loved to read, drawing was one of my favorite things to do. My love for art passed my love for books. Drawing allowed me to express my feelings into artwork. It also allowed me to capture raw beauty at its finest.

By this point my sketch book was already half way full with my drawings. Mainly it just had random things, but I preferred to draw peoples faces. The pure profound expressions people showed always intrigued me.

For me the perfect spot for my drawing sessions was this quaint little park back in Boston. It wasn't crowded like the other parks, and it wasn't noisy either. But it had enough people around the area for me to observe and draw. I know it sounds weird, but personally for me it was a way to capture beauty at its fine and fractured moments. Which is why I liked drawing people better, because human emotions were much more insightful for me.

And although I preferred my old spot, I still found the motivation to draw. I ended up drawing a woman with a heavy hooded expression. It was a completely made up strangers face...but for some reason it reminded me of my mother. Maybe it was because the hooded expression reminded me of the one my mother had for the last past year. It was hollow...almost without life. I really should have stopped drawing and ripped out the page, but I didn't. I couldn't do that for some reason. I think it was because the throwing out the page would be like throwing out my mother...and that seemed wrong for me to do. So I kept the drawing and put it towards the ends of my sketch book.

When I did this, I heard the over-con announce that we would be landing soon. So after hearing that, I put my sketch book back into my bag. I then remained quiet, and felt the nerves return to my stomach. My left leg kept bouncing up and down, and I shifted in my seat a lot. I tried passing the time by looking out the window, watching as we got closer and closer to the ground. By the looks of it night was approaching.

Within a few more minutes the plane finally landed. I had finally arrived to our destination. Gotham City.

I grabbed my belongings and waited patiently to get through the group of people that were existing the plane. It was like a herd of cattle. _Yesh._ I finally got out of my seat when the coast was clear.

Once I made it out of the plane, I went through the tunnel and entered inside the airport. Walking right into the chaotic center where everyone was either waiting or having a moment to collect their belongings. In my case I made my way towards the side of the airport, away from groups of people. Allowing me to wait patiently for my uncle Jim.

He was already suppose to be here. I had talked to him earlier on the phone before I boarded my plane in Boston. And he said he was going to be here by the time my flight landed at the Gotham's airport.

Now all I had to do was find him among this crowd of people. Which was easier said than done. I mean, like I said...there were lots of people. I'd like to to think that once my eyes landed on my uncle, that I'd recognize him. Even if it's been six years since I've last seen him...family should still be able to recognize family, right?

I started twirling my bracelet feeling the cool charms that were within my fingers glaze my skin. The sensation of the charms were calming me down a bit. But I was still feeling out off. Maybe it would be best if I just called him. Maybe he was running late? City life is quite hectic. I pulled out my cellphone from the jean pocket it was in and was about to dial his number, when a voice called out my name.

"Winifred."

The voice caught my attention and I looked up from my cellphone. My eyes caught sight of a man who looked to be around his late twenties, maybe early thirties. He was wearing a refined suit, with a dark blue tie, a white underneath shirt that matched his tie perfectly, and sharp dark well polished shoes. He gave off this type of cop vibe. He was taller than me by what I guessed was a few inches. I may have been sixteen, but I was tall for my age. My willow type of body figure helped expand my height. But this man had a well built figure. No doubt caused by training. He had short sandy blonde hair. And he had the same color blue eyes as me. I noticed how he was wearing a small smile on his face.

I took a few more seconds to study his face before I realized the striking resemblances between us. I think the only real severe difference was that his skin was slightly tanner than mine. But other than the small differences in body structure and gender, that was about it.

It was when I finished scrutinizing him, that I let a smile reach my face. The worry I had went away. "Uncle Jim!" I exclaimed happily, before I put away my cellphone and let go of my bags. I then engulfed him into a _"long time no see"_ type of hug. I mean it's been six years since I've seen him. A hug was seriously over do here for us.

I felt how he eagerly returned the hug and patted my back. After a few minutes of our reunion, he pulled back from the hug. I saw how he still had that small smile on his face. "It's good to finally see you, Winifred." He said looking at me. "You sure have stretched a lot." He said joking lightly.

I grinned and shrugged my shoulders. "Well six years can do that to a person." I replied back in all good fun. After saying this I quickly saw how his small smile fell.

My uncle looked solemn. "It real has been six years, huh?" He asked rather sadly to himself than to me.

"Uh, yeah." I said lowly as an awkward silence began to surround us. I wanted to berate myself for bringing up how long he hasn't seen me. As if he didn't already have enough to dwell with for being absent from me and my mother's life. I wasn't mad at him for not being there. He had his career and life to focus on.

Besides I know how much he cared for my mother. She was his younger sister. Plus he was helping her pay for her medical bills and such. He might have not physically been there, but he still offered a lot of moral support. Which was exactly what my mom needed. Still...I felt bad now for making him feel guilty about his absence.

I sighed and mentally rolled my blue orbs at myself.

 _Way to make him feel better, Winifred!_

"So...how you been uncle Jim?" I a wanting to end the silence and awkwardness. Maybe I could still save this conversation...

He composed himself and I saw how he looked slightly better.

"I've been alright." He told me as he tried giving me another smile. I think it was rather strained this time though.

"So new job, huh?" I asked raising my lightly eyebrows. "How's that been like...you know with being a detective and all. You've catch any bad guys yet?" I asked in a light tone, but I was genuinely interested in hearing his answer. Cause let's face it, when one has a family member in the police force, it's always pretty cool to listen to their wild stories.

At the mention of his job, I saw my uncle straighten his posture. "I've managed to get a few felons behind bars, but there's still a lot of work that needs to be done. The city itself needs major crime improvement." He said dourly with a hint of dismay.

This caused me to feel curious and I gave him a look of bemusement. "How so?" I questioned, furrowing my eyebrows. What exactly did he mean by the city needs major improvement?

My uncle looked as if he was contemplating on telling me something, but in the end he just shook his head. "Never mind about that. How about we get out of here, yeah?" He made his way towards my belongings and grabbed them. "Come on, I bet you're tired from hanging out around these closed knitted airports." He quipped with another smile, this time more natural than his last one.

"Well I can't say I'm not." I said with a shrug making my way towards him.

"Alright, let's get out of here then." He said and walked towards the exit, with me following right behind him.

* * *

After we left the airport, my uncle Jim and I got into his car. So far we had been stuck in the same lane waiting for the traffic to clear up.

As we waited there was silence in the car. It wasn't a bad silence...just kind of awkward. I sighed and leaned against the car seat. Now that I was actually in the city, I got a better view of Gotham. To my surprise Gotham gave off this woeful vibe, not at all like Boston. Maybe the only reason I was feeling like this was because it was now night time. And because Boston was the only city I've ever been in. So I couldn't help but feel wariness towards this city.

I looked away from the window and focused my gaze back into the car.

"Hey, if you want we can play some music?" My uncle suggested nodding his head towards the car's radio. I guess he too was feeling awkward due to the silence.

"Okay, that sounds good." I said as I turned on the radio. I began looking for a station to listen to. It took about a few minutes before I finally a good station. The wonderful lyrics from the song, _At A Glance by Message to Bears_ began to fill the car. I soon started to him to the soothing melody.

"So is it safe to assume you like this song?" My uncle asked me with a hint of merriment. He must have taken my humming a sign of that.

I nodded my head. "Yeah, I kinda blame my mother for that. She would always play indie folk music around the house. So I kind of grew up to like it."

"Yeah, Kinsley, always did enjoy folk music." My uncle said letting out a nostalgic smile. "I remember when we were kids she would always sing around the house. She had such a nice voice. Did she still do that?" He asked me dimly, with soft eyes.

"Yeah, she would also dance around too. But I think her dancing was more comedic." I told him with a smile before I dropped it. Thinking about how my mother used to be made me feel despair.

My uncle must have seen how my expression changed. For he too became rather serious. "Listen, Winifred...I'm sorry that I wasn't there sooner for you guys." He said sounding blameworthy. "But the time I was made aware about Kinsley disorder, I had just gotten my new position here as a detective. I couldn't get the time off."

"Uncle Jim, it's fine-"

"No, it's not fine." He interrupted me. "Kinsley, is my sister and you're my niece. You guys are my family and I should have been there...for the both of you." I saw him shake his head sadly. "You shouldn't have dealt with that all by yourself."

"Well I did." I said looking at him firmly and then sighed. "Uncle Jim, I'm not mad at you, okay? I understand that your job is too important to just abandon and I'm pretty sure my mom understood that as well. Besides you're helping her now. She's at the best mental hospital Boston has and she's getting the care she needs." I gave him a smile. "And I know she would be glad to know that I'm under your watch now."

My uncle gave me a fond smile."Thanks." He took a breath and then laughed softly. "You know you look like her when she was your age." He commented gazing at me.

I had to agree with his comment. My mother and me, much like my uncle, shared similar qualities in appearances. I had the luck of having my mother's beautiful long wavy hair, heart shaped face, and bright blue eyes. The same colored eyes that my uncle had as well.

I shrugged my shoulders casually. "Oh, I don't know...I think might have surpassed her height." I joked making him laugh.

"Yeah, but you haven't passed mine."

"True...but I still have two years left until my growth spurt stops. Who knows...I might just beat you."

"Yeah, sure." My uncle said sounding amused.

I laughed and then grew serious. "So listen, earlier at the airport you said something about improving the cities crime rate. Care to elaborate on that?"

My uncle sighed. "I don't think that's something I want you to know about."

"Ah, but you see, I think that's exactly why I should know. Since Gotham is my new home. Don't you think it would be best if I knew all the details about this glorious city?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

My uncle gave me a authorizing look. "I wouldn't call this city glorious and I wouldn't give you all the details either."

"Fine then..." I huffed blowing my wavy blonde locks out of my face."Then give me something."

"You know for a sixteen year old you sure are invasive." He said vainly with a chuckle.

"What can I say, I'm a curious teenager." I retorted grinning.

My uncle continued to look at me before he gave in. "Fine, like I mentioned before Gotham needs to improve it's crime rates. It's a very dangerous city."

"But uncle Jim, it's a city. I mean, crimes always happen in cities. It's like an unspoken rule or something." I told him as I thought about some of the crimes that have happened in Boston.

"Gotham isn't like other cities, Winifred. It's bad here...real bad." He explained to me dourly. "I came here thinking about this romanticized city that I've pictured in my head as a kid, but I've come to realize it's not as honorable as I thought it would be."

"So you're saying the city is corrupt then?" I clarified what he was trying to explain to me.

"Sadly yes. Which is exactly why I want you safe."

"What? So does this mean no late night shopping?" I quipped with a sharp eyebrow trying to ease the conversation.

"Not by yourself at least, and especially not at night." He told me sternly.

"Uncle Jim, I appreciate your concern. I really do, but I know how to live the city life, alright? You got nothing to worry about." I reassured him.

"In a city like Gotham all I do is worry, Winifred. Especially now that you're here."

"When then I guess it's a good thing you're Gotham's newest detective, right?" I asked him rhetorically. "I'm sure no one will want to mess with you."

My uncle let out a tensed up laugh. "Well let's hope not."

After that the two of us remained quiet again. Letting the dulcet music fill up the silence in the car as we both took in the lyrics and patiently waited for the traffic to clear up.

* * *

We finally made it back to my uncle Jim's apartment after the traffic cleared up. His apartment was cozy looking. Much like any city apartment would look like. It had a decent size living room. Two set of couches and a TV were apart of the living room set. I did notice that he had several photos hung on the wall.

Some of the photos were of him with his colleagues and friends. What made my heart warm up though was the photo he had of him and my mother when they were kids. Both of them were smiling and looking right at the camera. It was such a nice photo.

I also saw he had a photo of me when I was about four or five years old. I cringed when I first saw the photo. It was when I was missing two of myself bottom teeth. My young self was giving a goofy smile and looking straight at the camera. My blonde hair was styled in pigtails and my cheeks were bright pink. I kind of looked like a doll...I had to admit I looked ridiculous.

I'm gonna have to remember to ask my uncle to put that photo away. For peoples own well-being. I didn't want their eyesight to be ruin by my embarrassing photo. I couldn't have that now. The horror if anyone else saw. Also there was the fact that I just wanted the photo to be hidden far away...

The rest of the apartment consisted with having a small, but nice fair looking kitchen. One bathroom in the hallway. (Meaning we were gonna have to share.) Along with two bedrooms. One of them was his and the one he was using as a guest bedroom, was now mine.

The bedroom itself was kind of small, but that didn't bother me. It was quaint and it had enough space for my belongings. So I was just grateful. I noticed the walls were a egg shell white color though. Kind of bland for my taste.

"You can paint the room if you like." My uncle suggested from the doorway, as he watched me inspect the room. "I know what is kind of boring. So I wouldn't mind the change up. Just promise me no pink walls." He chuckled with a light-hearted tone.

I grinned and looked towards him. "Don't worry, uncle Jim. I wouldn't paint the room pink." He looked mildly relieved, before I spoke up again. "If anything I'd paint it fuchsia."

His expression turned to one of dread and it took everything in me to not crack up. Eventually I couldn't hold it anymore and I started laughing. "I'm kidding. Although I think purple would look nice."

My uncle seemed to approve of that and nodded his head. "Yeah, I think we can manage that. So, listen I know you're tired from your flight, but if you're up for it, I want to introduce you to someone."

"What you have a girlfriend you want me to meet?" I asked in a kidding tone.

"Actually not a girlfriend, but fiancee." My uncle corrected me contently.

My blue eyes widen. "You're engaged?" I exclaimed buoyantly. "Uncle Jim, why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"I wanted to tell you in person." He explained rationally. "So would you like to meet her? She's been wanting to meet you for a while now."

Did _I_ want to meet _her?_ What kind of question was that? "Of course I do!" I said smiling. "Let me just change out of my traveling clothes and we'll go, okay?"

My uncle nodded his head and left the bedroom to give me space to get ready. I reached into my suitcase and pulled out my blue length knee dress. It was the one that my mother bought for me last year. The dress had flower patterns on it and it leaned towards the vintage side. I also took out a pair of black tights, and my black blazer.

I quickly changed into my clothes and then looked at my reflection using the bedroom mirror. After making sure my outfit looked appropriate, I used my hairbrush to untangle my blonde locks. I then did a side style french braid.

This was how I usually dressed like. My outfits consisted with wearing blouses, sweaters, cardigans, vintage dresses, long knee length skirts, and leggings. Only this time I put extra effort with my hair since I wanted to look nice for my uncle's fiancee.

After a few more minutes of making sure I was decent enough, I looked away from the mirror. I quickly put on my black flats and completed my outfit.

"Alright, let's go meet this fiancee of yours, uncle Jim." I muttered to myself and then exited my bedroom to inform him I was now ready.

* * *

We ended up parking in front of a tall opulent apartment building. There was no doubt we where on the on the wealthy side of Gotham. It made me wonder what exactly my uncle fiancee's did for a living. Was she a doctor? Or perhaps a lawyer? Maybe she just came from a very wealthy privileged family. Not that money mattered to me. I was more into the simpler stuff in life. I just really wanted to meet this mysterious woman of his already. The suspense was making me anxious.

We entered the inside of the building and I was astonished by how elegant it was. Something you would see like in a movie. My uncle and I then got into the elevator and we went to the very top floor. When the elevator dinged, we stepped out of the opening doors. I followed him and we soon came face to face with a style decorated door.

My uncle knocked and we waited a few seconds, before the door finally opened revealing a blonde curly haired woman. She looked to be around my uncle's age. She was wearing a cream colored blouse and a black skirt. Her eyes were a steel colored blue and her skin was nicely tanned. So all in all, she was definitely a very beautiful woman.

I saw her eyes light up when she saw my uncle. "James!" She beamed happily before her eyes slid over towards where I was standing. Her smile seemed to expand. "Oh, you must be Jame's niece, please come in."

I followed my uncle inside the sumptuous apartment. Inside was highly nicely decorated. There were lots of windows, giving a great view of the city. I bet during the day, the apartment must have been filled with lots of lights from the sun. I looked at all the furniture that was around her living room. The few set of couches she had really stood out to me. My gaze then landed on a large book case that held several books. I furrowed my eyebrows, wondering what kind of books she read. Although what really caught my attention were the paintings that were hanged up on her light grey colored walls. They were abstract paintings, but they were still very fascinating to look at. Was she an art lover? Cause if she was that would be great.

"Barbara, I want you to officially meet my niece, Winifred. Winifred, this is Barbara Kean, my fiancee." My uncle said introducing us to each other.

I gave Barbara a polite smile. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Kean."

"Oh, well aren't you darling." Barbara gushed and smiled at me. "But please no formalities. Just call me, Barbara."

"Alright then, it's nice to meet you, _Barbara."_ I smiled calling her by her first name.

Barbara nodded her head. "Likewise, James has told me a lot about you. How was your flight coming here? Where was it you came from again?" She asked me.

"I came from Boston." I answered her. "And my flight was alright. Mainly just passed my time reading and drawing."

"You like to read?" Barbara asked me raising a brow. "What's your favorite book?"

"The same one that I've liked since I was fifteen years old." I said happily. _"Jane Eyre."_

Barbara's face soften with delight. "That's one of my favorites too."

"Barbara, here is also into art. She just opened a new art gallery." My uncle Jim informed me.

"Really? That's amazing. I had a feeling you were an art lover based on the paintings you have on your walls." I nodded my head towards the paintings and then looked back at her.

"Yes, art has always been a passion of mine. Perhaps you would like to come and see the art gallery of mine one of these days?" She asked with a warm smile.

"I'd like that." I said appreciating her invitation.

"Alright, I'll make sure we'll go one of these days then." Barbara reassured me.

The rest of our visit at Barbara's went really well. The three of us ate dinner together. Take out food. Chinese actually. Which I personally found to be delicious. Especially since I hadn't had Chinese in a while.

Anyways after we finished eating our dinner, we continued to talk and I got to know a bit more about Barbara. And I was right, she did come from a family that was well privileged. Although when she mentioned her parents I did notice how she sounded a bit resentful. Maybe I might have been imagining things, but there was definitely some tension hidden there. Other than that though she seemed really sweet and caring. I had no problem with her being in a relationship with my uncle Jim. Just as long as she never hurt him physically or emotionally. Other wise we would then have a problem. He's my uncle after all and I had to look out for him. But as of right now, Barbara was on my good side. Therefore, everything was fine and dandy between us.

Once dinner was over, my uncle Jim and I, bid Barbara a goodnight. Before we left, she made sure to give me her number and I gave her mine as well.

My uncle and I ended getting back to his place around ten. And once we got there I went straight to my new bedroom. I changed out of my outfit and put on my pajamas. Which was a blue sleeve night shirt and flower patterned pants. The night shirt felt loose on my lankly body, but that's what made it more comfortable for me. Once changed I went into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of milk. After I finished drinking it, I put the cup in the sink. I then looked up when I heard oncoming footsteps.

I saw that it was my uncle Jim, and I got a bemused expression when I noticed he was still in his work suit. Why wasn't he in his pajamas?

"Hey, uncle Jim, you planning on sleeping in your work suit or something?" I joked raising my eyebrows.

My uncle shook his head. "No, actually I have to go out."

"What? Right now? But it's already late." I said in a fretful tone. "Why do you have to go?"

"I just need to take a walk to sooth something over. I might stop at Barbara's for a while. Don't worry, I'll come back later." He informed me.

"But uncle Jim..."

"Hey, Winnie, I'll be fine. Besides like you said before, nobody is gonna want to mess with a homicide detective." He said, trying to reassure me.

Ah, darn him for using my own words against me. And double darn him for calling me by that nickname he had for me. I thought for sure he would have forgotten about it.

I sighed, defeated. "Fine..." I grumbled. "But please try to make it back before morning..."

"Alright, I promise." He said softly to me. He then gave me a quick hug. "Don't stay up to late, okay? Get some rest. I'll see you in the morning." He reassured me again before he let go and left the apartment.

After he left I washed my cup and then made sure the front door and windows were locked. I then did my nightly routine before I finally went back to my room. But even as I laid down on bed, I couldn't help but worry for my dear uncle Jim.

* * *

Morning time came a lot faster than I wanted it to.

It was the bright sunlight that was peaking through my window that woke me up.

I yawned and stretched my arms over my head, letting the covers fall off me. I lowered my arms and then looked at my alarm clock that was on the nightstand. It read 9 A.M.

I groaned.

I was not a morning person. I always hated getting up in the mornings. It sucked. But I knew I needed to get up. Maybe my uncle Jim had a coffee maker that I could use.

The thought of drinking warm coffee gave me the motivation to get up. Shaking away the laziness, I quickly went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth. I then made my way to the kitchen.

"Hey, uncle Jim, you got a coffee maker I could use?" I asked out loud, but no answer came. "Uncle Jim?" I called out again, but he didn't respond. Huh? I let my gaze wonder over to the living room, but I didn't see him in there.

Okay...maybe he's still asleep.

With that rationalized thought, I made my way over to his room and knocked on it. "Uncle Jim, are you in there?" No answer. I decided then to open the door. I know that goes against privacy, but I was really starting to get worried now.

I opened the door and saw that the bedroom was empty. Not a single sign of my uncle. What made my unease grow was that his bed was perfect, as in he didn't sleep in it at all perfect. Now I knew something was wrong here. He should have been back by now. I ran to my room and got my cellphone. There was no missed calls or text messages from him. That didn't help me relax at all. I decided to call him and see if he would pick up. But the call just went straight to voicemail.

Panic started to sink in.

 _Okay...just calm yourself, Winifred._

Maybe he got tired from his walk and just stayed over at Barbara's. That seemed possible. Although...he probably would have sent me a message if he'd done that.

Against this thought, I put my hope into that possibility and dialed Barbara's number. The phone ran about three times before she finally answered.

 _"Hello."_

"Hey Barbara, it's me Winifred." I greeted as calmly as possible.

 _"Oh, Winifred, hi! How are you this morning?"_

"I'm kind of puzzled right now to be honest you with." I let out a sigh."You see my uncle went out late last night after we came back from dinner, and he told me he was going out for a walk. Yet he promised me he would be back by morning, but I just checked the whole apartment and he's not here. He didn't by any chance stay over at your place last night, did he? He mentioned to me how he was going to make a quick stop to see you." I finished explaining to her, silently hoping she would say he was there with her.

There was along pause, making my stomach churn.

 _"No...he, uh, didn't come back here at all last night. Wait, are you saying James never made it back home?"_

I can tell she was panicking like me now.

"Unfortunately that's what it looks like. I mean, he hasn't even called me and when I tried calling him there's no answer." I said, feeling troubled. "Do you have any idea on where he might be right now?"

 _"I think so. He might be at G.C.P.D. We can go together and see if he's there."_

I appreciated how she was trying to act unperturbed in order to make me feel less worried about the situation. "Thank you, Barbara. I think that's a good idea."

 _"Alright, just sit tight and I'll be over to pick you up soon."_

"Alright...I'll see you in a bit then." I replied before we said good-bye and hung up.

After doing that I went back into my room, and changed out of my pajamas. I rummaged through my suitcase and took out the set of clothes I was going to wear. A beige patchwork waist top, along with my knee length black skirt, my leggings underneath, and my black flats. Once dressed, I breezed through my hair with my brush. I didn't care if it were wavier than usual or that it was a mess. All I could think about now was where my uncle was at, as I waited for Barbara to get here.

 _Oh, uncle Jim...I hope you're okay..._

* * *

When Barbara and I arrived G.C.P.D. I was left in awe.

The building inside was much bigger than I thought it was going to be. The first things that caught my attention was how high the ceiling was and the circular beams that were surrounding was this golden bright light filing up the whole main room. It gave away this warm feeling.

I then saw several desks around the room and saw several police officers. Some were sitting down and others well walking and chatting around with other co-workers. The sounds of phones ringing could be heard as well. Towards the right of the room, I noticed there was a jail cell. Right now it was empty, but I had no doubt it was going to eventually be filled with lawbreaking citizens. Since my uncle did say the crime rate was pretty high. Which I've come to believe now, since apparently said uncle was now missing.

God, I really do hope he's here.

 _I gotta think positive!_

I moved my gaze away from the jail cell and onto the staircase that lead to some concealed rooms. No doubt they were just offices of some sorts.

So all in all, I had to say this was a very awesome looking place.

I came to a stop once Barbara turned to look at me.

"I'm gonna go talk to Jame's partner and ask him if he's seen him. I'll be right back, okay?" She informed me. I nodded my head and watched as she approached a middle aged man. From where I was standing I could still see the suit he was wearing. It was brown colored, and just by looking at this outfit, he was able to give out this off ease type of vibe. A totally different vibe than my uncle's. I could also see the man's face was slightly rounded. He had brown messy styled hair. I pondered taking his form in. So he was my uncle's partner, huh? Interesting.

Seeing as Barbara was talking to him, I decided to take a seat. I sat down on a wooden bench and then I looked around the police station. The worry I had for my uncle grew, when I didn't catch sight of him.

I sighed.

Where could he be? He promised me he would have been back before morning. I mean, he wouldn't ignore my phone calls, Barbara's either. She was his fiancee for crying out loud. He would have at least told her out of all people where he was at, right? Unless he didn't because he was.

 _No!_

I couldn't think like that. My uncle was fine. He had to be. I just needed to calm down. I began to twirl around my bracelet again as I looked towards Barbara. She was still talking my uncle's partner. Hopefully he knew something about my uncle's location.

My concerned rambling thoughts came to a stop when saw a shadow looming over me. I looked up, almost expecting it to be my uncle, but instead I saw a man who looked to be in his mid-twenties. Even with me currently sitting down, I could tell he was way taller than me. He had a lanky type of body. He was probably at least six foot or so. His outfit consisted of him wearing a black suit with a red tie and polished dark shoes as well. He was very dressy.

What made me feel great bemusement though was the facial expression he had on. Which was a eccentric type of smile. It was kind of goofy looking to be honest. Except for some reason I kind of liked it.

The more I stared at him, the more I took in his facial features a bit better. He had thin lips, along with high sharp cheek bones. His eyes were a dark brown, the same color that his hair was too. What I really found amusing, was not his face, but the fifties style pair of glasses he had on. Which in my opinion fit him perfectly well. Still I was confused as to why he was smiling at me.

"Um, can I help _you_?" I asked stressing out the last word in wariness.

The man either didn't notice my chary tone or chose to ignore it. He pushed up his glasses further up his nose as he gave me another quirky smile. "No, I don't think so. You're awfully young to be working here. So I have to assume you're either waiting here for someone, or you're here under police custody." He said rather chirpily. "So which is it?"

I was taken back by his gleeful personality. I mean, even if I was under custody, (which I wasn't) how could he remain so unfazed, let alone talk to a criminal so normally? _Huh._

I saw how he was eagerly waiting for my response, so I spoke up. "Actually to answer your question, it's neither. I'm here looking to see if my uncle is here or not since this is where he works."

"Uncle?" He asked, intrigued. "Who's your uncle?"

I debated to myself if I should tell him, but I figured why not. Maybe he knew where he was. "His name is James Gordon." I said putting a lock of hair behind my ear.

He looked surprised after hearing this. "Detective Gordon is your uncle?" He asked, perplexed. He hummed. "I wasn't even aware he had a niece."

Ah...so he did know my uncle. Good. "Well, I just recently moved in with him. It was kind of sudden." I informed him.

"Hmm...well that's interesting." He said keenly, before brightening up even more. "Oh, where are my manners. My name's Edward Nygma. But you can call me Ed." He said introducing himself and sticking out his hand.

I tilted my head and let out a small smile. He may have been odd, but then again wasn't everyone is some way? Plus he seemed harmless. I stood up from the bench and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Ed. My name's Winifred Gordon."

"Winifred?" Ed repeated with a smile and let go of my hand. "How very distinct. Did you know the name Winifred was a very popular name during the 16th century. But in today's day and age, one never hears the name Winifred anymore. It's nice to know that people still hold that name dearly. Your parents must have been very idiosyncratic people."

Okay, I had no idea what that word meant, but I'm going to assume it was a compliment. "Uh, thank you? And it was my mother who named me." I said a bit securely. "So I'm guessing you're not a detective here, huh? Are you a doctor or something?" I asked trying to change the subject away from my mother.

"Actually, I'm a forensic scientist." Ed said rather proudly with a goofy smile.

"Really?" I asked with raised eyebrows, impressed. "Well that's very cool." I praised making him smile even more. "So, listen Ed, you haven't by any chance seen my uncle have you? He didn't return home last night. You have any idea where he might be?"

Ed shook his head. "Sorry, can't say I have a clue."

"Great." I muttered.

"Say do you like riddles, Winifred?" Ed asked me suddenly.

"What?" I questioned, bewildered. "Riddles?"

Ed's brown eyes were practically sparkling as he stared into my blue ones. "Yes, riddles!" He said excitedly.

"I mean, I guess. I've heard a few before." I said shrugging my shoulders.

His smile brighten. "What has 13 hearts, but no other organs?" Ed asked feverishly, almost as if he were asking himself.

I had to think about that for a few seconds. All while Ed was jumping up in place in what appeared to be excitement. I continued to ponder...13 hearts but no other organs? A light bulb went off in my head. "A deck of playing cards." I answered him with a smile.

He looked dumbfounded by my answer. "Yes, that's correct. You answered right! No ones ever answered my riddles correctly before. Well just your uncle." He admitted now looking at me in awe.

I shrugged again, but this time I smiled. "Guess me and my uncle are just good riddle solvers."

"Yes, it appears so." Ed said exultantly returning the smile. "You don't by chance happen to like playing video games as well, do you?"

It was now my turn for my eyes to brighten up. "Yes I do! But I prefer to play the classics. You know like Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros, Space Invaders, and on occasion a good game of Qbert never hurt."

I guess my answer once again satisfied Ed, because he was looking at me in wonderment.

"That's great! I find that each and every kind of video game presents some sort of challenge. Sort of like _―"_

 _"Nygma!_ For Christ's sake, leave the poor girl alone." A gruff voice suddenly rang out loud, interrupting Ed in mid sentence.

I looked to the side and saw the man who Barbara had been talking to, walking towards us. He had on an annoyed expression and was staring straight at Ed as he came to stand next to us.

"Go back to work Nygma and stop bothering the girl with your nonsensical riddles." The man all but grumbled.

"I was just trying to tell her how video games are very good for the human mind. The challenges they present _―"_ Ed said enthusiastically, but was rudely interrupted by the man.

"I don't care and I doubt she does either. Now go back to _work."_ He stressed out his order.

Well then...that was rather mean.

I saw Ed frown and noticed how his seemingly happy personality deflated a little."Oh, well alright..." His brown eyes met my blue eyes again. "It was nice to meet you, Winifred." He whispered, shyly.

I instantly felt bad for him and I wanted to yell at the other man for causing Ed to feel this way. I mean Ed wasn't doing anything wrong, nor was he bothering me. If anything he kind of made me feel better. A smile appeared on my face as I looked at the forensic scientist. "It was great to meet you too, Ed. Thanks for the riddle." I said hoping to make him feel better...and it did.

His frown was soon gone and a big smile replaced it instead. It greatly surprised me how rapidly his mood had changed. But hey, whatever made him feel better, right?

"You're welcome." Ed said with a lopsided smile before he readjusted his glasses and swiftly walked away with a spring in his step. I had to laugh a little to myself. He was quite the character.

"I'm sorry if Nygma was bothering you kid. He can be quite the weirdo at times."

I turned back to face the man and scowled a little. "He wasn't bothering me, sir. He was just making polite conversation with me." I then composed myself, trying my best to not make a bad first impression. After all he was my uncle's partner, so I needed to get on his good side. Even if he was rude to a nice guy like Ed. I coughed forcibly, clearing my voice from dislike. "I'm sorry, I don't believe I got your name."

Much to my relief he didn't seem to sense my enmity. "Harvey. Detective Harvey Bullock." He introduced himself, sticking out his hand for my to shake.

I looked at his hand with narrowed eyes, but I knew if I didn't shake his hand, that would be considered incredibly rude. So I shook his hand and looked back at him. It was then I noticed how his eyes were a darker brown than I thought they were. I also now saw the scruffy bread he had too.

"Nice to meet you, detective Bullock. My name's Winifred Gordon." I said trying my best to sound nice and soon ended the hand shake.

Harvey nodded his head in realization. "Yeah, you're Jim's niece, huh? Well it's nice to finally meet you. Your uncle's been telling me a lot about you."

"Yeah, speaking about my uncle..." I said getting right to the point. "Have you by any chance seen him? He didn't come home last night from his walk. I'm sure Barbara already asked you this, but I still gotta ask for myself. Do you know where he might be? You're his partner, so I figured you'd know." My blue eyes must of been gleaming with hope right now as I waited for his answer.

"Well like I explained to Miss Kean, your uncle went out on a stake-out last night. His phone probably just ran out of battery." Detective Bullock informed me.

"A stake-out?" I repeated incredulously, furrowing my eyebrows. I hardly could believe that my uncle would let his cellphone run out of juice. No, he seemed too sharp to let something like that happen to him.

Detective Bullock sighed heavily. "Yeah kid a stake-out, you know something cops do when they want to capture a culprit."

"I _know_ what a stake-out is." I replied with a slight grimace on my face. I felt immense irritation. Did he really think that I didn't know what a simple stake-out was? Just because I was a teenager, didn't mean I was _stupid_ or callow...gosh.

Detective Bullock didn't look taken back by my response. In fact he looked amused instead. He gave me a dry chuckle. "Sure you do _kid._ Listen, I have to get back to work now, but when your uncle _Jimbo_ comes back, I'll let him know you and Miss Kean dropped by, okay?"

I didn't want to talk to him anymore, since he was just _annoying_ me now. Plus I also had a feeling that if I continued talking to him, I'd snap at him would end up saying something unladylike. So I nodded my head firmly with a unbending expression set on my face. He gave me a half-heated wave and I watched him walk back to his desk.

Right after that, Barbara came back where I was, and told me the same vague explanation that detective Bullock had. I wasn't the only one finding the story to be iffy. Barbara did too.

Something wasn't adding up here.

I looked back towards detective Bullock. I couldn't help but feel like he was hiding something from us. By no means did I think he was a bad guy or anything. He just seemed...what's the word I'm looking for? Ah, yes... _blase._ Actually no, scratch that. I think lackadaisical would fit him better. But considering I just met him, and even if he didn't make the best first impression, I figured I'd just give him another chance.

I just hoped that what he told Barbara and I about my uncle Jim held some sort of truth.

Although to be honest, this whole situation seemed rather _fishy_ to me.


	3. Chapter 3: Welcome back uncle Jim

**_Disclaimer_ :** _I do not own Gotham or any of the characters. I only own my OC._

 ***Edited 1/27/17***

* * *

 _"Family is the most important thing in the world."– Princess Diana_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 3: Welcome back uncle Jim**_

After Barbara and I left the Gotham police department, we drove back to her apartment. The reason being was because she told me it would be best if we waited for my uncle back at her since neither of us wanted to be alone at the moment. We were both on edge due to the fact that my uncle Jim was still out in the city doing this supposed "stake-out." On our way back to her apartment though I noticed how the weather had gone from being sunny to being full on cloudy. A sudden dramatic change and to be honest it kind of went well with everything that was I was feeling rather gloomy myself.

I really thought for sure that by going to G.C.P.D we would have found my uncle...but we didn't. In fact all we got was a obscure explanation from detective Bullock. Making Barbara and I, well especially _me,_ feel extremely wary...

I knew that dwelling on that wasn't going to help bring my uncle home, but just cause us more agitation. So Barbara and I tried our best to the pass time by making breakfast, hoping that by doing this that time would go by faster and that when we were done he would be back. But he hadn't return yet...

I know it was rather unavailing and such, but we had to do think positive and to get rid of our overwrought thoughts. What I wanted more than anything though was to go out and find my uncle myself. But I hardly knew Gotham City. And I doubted Barbara would have let me wander the dangerous streets alone to look for my dear uncle. Because if I knew my way around like an expert then that's what I would have done...but since I didn't know jack squat yet, I had to disregard that idea.

So I stayed put with Barbara, as we ate the food we prepared. But even as we ate our eggs and pancakes together, the silence that surround the kitchen was unnerving even for me. The worry we both felt for my uncle was still on high alert. Making us both wonder just exactly what kind of fickle my uncle was in...hopefully nothing to serious.

* * *

In the gloomy and more shady area of Gotham a car pulled in near an empty dock. Thunder could be heard in the distance as said car came into an abrupt stop. The two men in the car were quiet. That was until Harvey Bullock, sitting in the drivers seat spoke up breaking the tension filled silence.

His voice sounded strained, but it was understandable considering with everything he and his partner just went through. He let out an heavy sigh. "Listen Jim..."

"I'm listening." Detective James "Jim" Gordon replied his voice solemn. He sounded and looked worn out too, especially with the night he had. With being beaten up, held hostage by Fish Mooney's men, and then being anomalously let go by Carmine Falcone himself. So yeah...tiredness wouldn't even being to explain how he was feeling right now.

Harvey shook his head in resolute. "I wasn't being honest with you. But you weren't ready for the truth."

Jim turned to give him a hard expression. "You didn't tell me because you were _ashamed_." He retorted back to him.

Harvey then with out another word got out of the car.

Jim quickly got out as well in a abrupt manner and followed him towards the back of the car. "Why are we here?"

Harvey rather than telling him, instead opened the trunk of his car revealing a battered and bruised up Oswald Cobblepot. He looked as if he just got a nasty beating. He was wearing a suit that was now ruined, his dark hair was rather messy as well, and he was really pale making the bruises he had on his face more noticeable.

Oswald looked at the two of them in complete trepidation as he shook in fear. "No, please. Please, I beg of you."

 _"Shut up!"_ Harvey shouted at Oswald, causing him to become silent.

Jim looked towards the beaten up man that was inside the trunk shocked and yet baffled with the whole situation that was currently happening.

"This is the fool that snitched to Montoya and Allen." Harvey informed him. "Falcone wants you to walk him to the end of that pier and put a bullet in his head." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Then everybody knows you're with the program."

Jim narrowed his blue eyes and sent Harvey a challenging look as he came closer towards him. "And if I don't?"

"Then I'm supposed to take you out and him too." Harvey retorted and lowered his voice fairly. "And here's the thing Jim, I like you. I might not have the stomach to do it, but I'll try. Because if I don't, someone will get you quick enough. Then they're gonna get to me, and probably Barbara and Winifred as well." He told him candidly. "Who knows what you told the two of them."

At the mention of his niece and fiancee's safety, Jim's face became stricken with distress. "I told them nothing."

Harvey gave him a vacuous expression. "You think Falcone _cares_? Come on, you've killed people before." He said trying to reason with him.

"That was war!" Jim exclaimed in vexation.

"This is war!" Harvey yelled and then pointed at Oswald who was watching the scene with dread in his eyes. "We're at war with scumbags like him! Sometimes in a war, you gotta do a bad thing to do good, right? So do you do this bad thing, or do you die and maybe your girl, along with your niece die as well, huh? Is that what you want?" Exasperation was set on his face before he soften up a bit. "I might be lackadaisical, but that's not a tough call." He then took out a gun he had in his back pocket and handed it towards him, waiting to see what he would do.

Jim looked at the gun in Harvey's hand before he moved his gaze towards Oswald who was in the trunk and noticed his fast breathing. After a few seconds of contemplating his options, Jim then with a grim expression pulled Oswald by his tattered collar of his suit, and dragged him out of the trunk. He then took the gun out of Harvey's hand and said partner gave him a pat on shoulder.

Jim then pushed Oswald forward, roughly. "Walk." He ordered making him walk closer towards the end of the pier. Jim noticed how he was walking with a limp in one of his legs, making him think it was probably from the beating he received. This though didn't stop Oswald from turning around to face him, as he walked backwards, continuing again with his pleading to be spared.

"Please, Mr. Gordon, just let me _live_!" Oswald begged him in despair. "I'll do whatever you say, I'll be your slave for life." He exasperated desperately. "Listen to me, there's a war coming, a terrible war!" The constant rambling of his distraught kept going, as he hoped it would peek his interest enough to let him go." Falcone is losing his grip, and his rivals are hungry. There will be chaos, rivals of blood in the streets, I know it." His voice shook. "I can see it coming. I'm clever that way. And I can help you. I can be a spy for you." He then gave him a savvy expression. "I can ensure the safety of your loved ones! You're partner mentioned you have a niece, right? Well I can help keep her safe and I _―_ "

 _"Shut up!"_ Jim yelled harshly, not wanting his niece to be involved in this conversation, let alone by _him_. "Turn around." He command before he forced Oswald to face towards the water, close to the edge of the deck.

Oswald was now trembling. "For God's sake, have mercy." He begged one last time.

Jim held the gun towards his head, while his breathing came out fast. Could he do this? Take away this man's life? He might have not been a total innocent person by any means, but that didn't mean that gave him the right to plain out kill him right here and now. If he did this then what would that say about him? Would that bring him down to the abyss that every other cop was in, in this amoral city he once thought was upright. The more he contemplated this in his mind the more he started to lean towards his moral side, making his final decision.

"Don't ever come back to Gotham." Jim whispered in a warning tone, causing Oswald to stop his shaking, before he shot the gun forward missing his head slightly and instead hitting plain air. Jim then threw him over the edge and into the water allowing him to swim away, alive.

When the supposed act was done with, Jim looked back towards Harvey who was waiting by the car and he saw as he gave him a nod of approval, not at all knowing the real truth, that he didn't really kill Oswald Cobblepot.

Jim just hoped that he made the right choice by letting him go and that he would listen to his warning about never coming back. He figured though that Oswald would follow through and never return, meaning it was no longer an issue for him to stress over. Things were going to be fine now. Well...as fine as they could be in a city like Gotham. But unfortunately the unsettling feeling in his stomach was telling him otherwise...that things were only just beginning.

* * *

It was already hitting the afternoon mark and my uncle Jim still hadn't come back. I was still at Barbara's apartment with her, as we were waiting together. After we finished eating breakfast from this morning, she decided to take this opportunity, seeing as we were alone to get to know me better.

Since it was just us girls, as she said. Mostly the questions she asked were basic questions. Like what my age was, what my favorite color was, what I liked to do, and etc.

I had to admit that I liked the fact that she was actually putting in effort in getting to know me even though my uncle wasn't here. It made me realize that she really did care for my uncle and for his family.

So during our talk I ended up telling her my age, which was sixteen. Also that my favorite color was purple, and how my favorite things to do were to sketch and read.

I also ended up telling her was how I use to be in gymnastics when I was a little girl and how I was to be a cheerleader at my old high-school. This little hobby of mine started off my freshmen year when I was looking for an after school activity to do. I had no idea what to join so my mom decided to help me out by suggesting I should try out for cheerleading. She said that with my years of gymnastic skills, that I would be a guarantee in making the team.

I, of course found the idea of trying out to be nerve wracking, but with my moms encouragement I succeeded with my tryout and I made the team. It actually surprised me that I made the team at first, but to be honest I was glad that I did. Plus my mom was right, with my years of gymnastics cheerleading was a piece of cake for me.

 _But_...after my mom started getting kinda...well _off_ because of her illness, I decided to leave cheerleading. The squad, who I managed to get close with were saddened by my resignation. They tried convincing me to not quit, but I disregard their pleas. Cheerleading just didn't feel the same to me anymore.

When I started telling Barbara this during our conversation, she encouraged me that I should join cheer again when I start school here. Saying that Gotham needed a little cheer now and then to lighten up the gloom. That made my ears perk up, not because of the cheerleading thing but because of the mention of school. I had totally forgotten about school! Due to my uncle's current absence, school never even entered my mind.

 _Ugh_ _great_...

It's not that I hated school or anything. On the contrary, I loved my old school back in Boston. It was wonderful and I loved getting a full on education. I knew everyone there since it was the smallest school in the district with only about a thousand students or so. Most of the students I knew since elementary school. Like my friends Teagan, Madison, Amy, Brandon, and Kevin. They were all my best friends and moving away from them wasn't easy.

Just thinking about my dear friends made me miss them even more. Especially my friend Teagan. She was the closest friend I ever had. She was like the peanut butter to my jelly. I know that's a silly thing to say but we were just that close with each other. Luckily for me I have her number and information to keep in contact with her, along with the rest of the gang as well. But it still wasn't the same as if being there with them. And now here I was in a new city, completely friendless.

 _Yeah...talk about pure excitement._

Note my sarcasm there.

It's just that I didn't want to be the new kid that starts school during the middle of the year.

You see it's never exactly easy being the new kid. I mean take a look at all those classic cliche movies that have taught us that being the new kid sucks.

 _Mean girls, The Clique, Never been kissed, Bring it on, Clueless,_ and etc _._.

See what I mean? Being the new kid is like getting a stamp on your forehead that says, _"Pick on me. I'm fresh meat!"_ So, I wasn't exactly hopping with joy at starting school here in Gotham.

I was really into my own bubbling thoughts that I almost missed Barbara getting up from the seat across fro me. She excused herself in order to make a call to her work at the art gallery. I quickly pushed my thoughts away and gave her a brief nod letting her know I understood and watched as she went into her room.

Hmm, I guess it must have been one of those private important calls. I shrugged my shoulders indifferently and decided to get up from the kitchen chair to stretch my long legs. I straighten out the long length knee skirt I was wearing. I then made my way towards Barbara's clock size window that faced the city.

I saw how the sun behind the clouds was setting down, giving the city a slight tint of orange and yellow color due to its rays. Allowing the overcast gloom that was overshadowing the city to go away momentarily. It was a nice scenery and I wanted more than anything than to capture it in a drawing, but I sadly didn't have my sketch book. Which I guess that was a good thing because I probably wouldn't have done a good job since my worry for my uncle Jim would of distracted me from sketching the view.

 _Speaking about worry..._

The worry I had for him was growing so much that it was not even letting me fully enjoy the beautiful image anymore.

I blew away at a blonde piece of hair that fell in front of my face.

This whole situation was just getting absurd now. Surely, my uncle's stake-out should of ended by now, right? I'm no cop or anything, but whatever criminal or bad guy my uncle was after should have given up by now.

I shook my head and gave myself an eye-roll, knowing that was such an idiotic thing to even think about. I've seen enough shows like _Criminal minds, NCIS, Bones, and Law & Order, _to know that whatever type of criminal the police are after, sure aren't going to give up without a fight against the law.

Criminals are intransigent. That was for sure and I guess even more here in the city of Gotham.

My uncle Jim though is a smart man. Surely, he'd figure out a way to catch the bad guy without hurting himself along the way.

Well...I _hoped_ so anyway.

After getting tired from staring out the window I walked over to other side of the room, where the bookshelves were at. Barbara had all her book lined up in a organized fashion. I guessed now would be the perfect time to see what kind of collection she had. Though if the kind of books she had were as cultivating as the art work she had, then I would be eminently pleased to say that she had good taste in literature as well. After all she did tell me that one of her favorite books was Jane Eyre. And sure enough when I got a better look at her book collection, I was left in complete overawe.

She had all the classics.

 _The Call of the Wild by Jack London, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin, Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll._

The list of classic literature books she had went on and on.

I just named the few that caught my immediate attention. They were all books I've read and the majority of them have become my go to books, whenever I felt like relaxing. I especially liked Lewis Carroll's, _Alice in Wonderland_.

That book brought back so many wonderful memories from when I was younger. My mom use to read passages from that book for my bed time story. It was peaceful and just thinking about it made me reminisce about the easier times we had together. Now everything was... _different_. Not at all like how my childhood had been with her. It made me wonder if I would ever have that sort of harmonious lifestyle again with her...

The horrible answer to that would probably be a strong _no._

Not anytime soon anyways, especially with her current situation...

Schizoaffective, as I have mentioned before, is a severe mental disorder that is a combination between schizophrenia and a mood disorder. Therefore my mom needed to be treated daily with medications and psychotherapy. So I hardly doubt my mother would be her usual bubbly ebullient self. Not with the strong medication they had her on. I just hoped that one day...I don't exactly know when, but one day she'd be herself and be my mother again.

Not wanting to dwell on my mom's health issues anymore, I turned away from the bookshelves, hoping the sorrowful feeling would go away...and it did. Well sort of.

I knew this doleful feeling wouldn't really fully go away. I just pushed it down as far as I could, trying my best to hide it.

I didn't want others to worry about me when they had themselves to worry about. Especially my uncle, since I was living with him now. It's obvious that I cared for others well-being more than mine. Especially my family's. They'd always come first no matter what. My mom and uncle were all I had and I would cherish them with my life.

I made my way to to sit on one of Barbara's fancy sofa, but just when I was about to sit down my eyes caught something that was on the coffee table. It was a newspaper article from the Gotham Gazette, but it was the front cover that stood out to me. There was a photo of my uncle and his partner Harvey Bullock, the lukewarm detective that I had the oh so _delight_ of meeting for myself a few hours ago. My posture straighten up once I began reading the article's title.

 **Hero Cops Slay Wayne Killer.**

 _Huh?_

After reading that gripping title I immediately began to read the whole article and I was greatly left stirred. I had no idea who the Wayne's were but after reading the article I had come to the knowledge that Thomas Wayne was the CEO of Wayne Enterprises located right here in Gotham city. The couple were Gotham's most silk-stocking family and were greatly known in the city as well. Unfortunately from what I had read in the article was that both Thomas and his wife Martha Wayne were killed by a mugger when they were taking a short curt through an alley. Along with them during this horrible ordeal was there young son Bruce Wayne. Who had been spared from being killed, but still had to watch the wretched scene of his parents being killed right in front of him. My heart instantly went out to this young boy. That...must have been a horrible thing to see. Watching your parents die? Oh no...and for this young boy to have witnessed that? The dismay he must of felt or rather _is_ feeling...it must be indescribable and unbearable.

Justice, from what I read had been served.

My uncle Jim and his partner, detective Bullock had found the guy who murdered the Waynes. The article said his name was Mario Pepper. He had been killed by detective Bullock, when he had to take immediate action when he saw his partner about to be killed by said suspect. Reading that made my heart skip a beat. My uncle had almost been _killed_? Thank God Bullock had been there with him...I knew deep down there had to been some sort of decency in the older detective.

Anyways, the article also said the case was now closed since the guy they caught was now dead. All was now good. Except...my sorrow still went out for this young boy. The murderer of his parents might be dead, but Bruce was still left an orphan. I frowned and let out an aghast sigh. Did anyone ever truly get a happy ending? Oh, how I wish life was simple. Like in those olden fairy tales I use to read about from when I was a little girl...

"I see you finally found the article." Barbara's voice suddenly filled up the room. I looked up from the article I was holding and saw her standing near the the wall close to the bookshelves. "I was beginning to wonder when you'd read it. I had a feeling James hadn't told you anything about it yet."

"No, I, uh, just read it right now." I told her and then looked towards the article real quick. "Says, right here the funeral for the Waynes had been on Sunday. That was like...three days ago, right?" I asked looking back towards her and saw how she gave me a nod in response. "I barely got here yesterday...I could understand why he hadn't told me any of this. The story itself is so tragic...the poor boy lost his parents right in front of him. Watching as this _man_ killed them...I mean, who does that?" I nearly choked out before composing myself. "It's so inhumane."

Barbara looked unhappy as well. "Yes...it was such a loss. The Waynes meant a lot to this city."

"Well, I'm just glad my Uncle Jim and his partner were able to put an end to this, Mario Pepper guy." I said fervently, putting the article back onto the coffee table.

"Yeah..." Barbara said, but the way she sounded was hesitant and dubious.

That caught my inner curiosity and my blue eyes landed onto her own. "Why do you sound so unsure?" I questioned her, narrowing my eyes.

"What do you mean?" Barbara asked me with a restrained voice.

"It's just the way you responded to when I said I'm glad they were to able catch the culprit. You sounded as if you didn't believe it yourself." I replied back to her and then tilted my head to the side. Pursing my lips as I studied her face. "Not to mention you look as if you're contemplating on telling me something. So, I'll ask you...is there something you want to tell me regrading my uncle's involvement in the Wayne case?"

Barbara looked nonplussed by my sudden inquiring questions. It took a second for her to compose herself before she was able to respond. She let out a small laugh. "You know for a kid you sure are very invasive. Has anyone ever told you that?" She jested.

I simply shrugged my shoulders and made a thinking face before I let out a insouciant smile. "Once or twice, I believe so. Anyways, as I was asking...is there a reason why look so uncertain for my uncle's involvement in the Wayne case?"

Barbara shook her head. "It's nothing Winifred. It's just that..." She sighed and looked as if she were debating on telling me something. In the end I believe the latter one. "In a city like Gotham, when something happens as major as what happened to to Wayne's...it gets people to talk. And a lot question authority for their sincerity." She admitted to me, charily.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Are you implying that the police here aren't being honest with the people of Gotham? Because if you are...then you're saying the man, that my uncle Jim believed to be guilty, was instead framed and killed for a crime he didn't commit? Is that what you're ultimately trying to say?" I couldn't help but sound a bit gall by this accusation. I mean my uncle Jim wouldn't frame an innocent man! No...so why would she think that then? Who planted this crazy thought into her head?

Barbara must have sensed my anger, for I saw how she tried giving me a reassuring look. "Winifred, it's nothing. I mean, just because a few people believe this, doesn't make it true. Just forget I said anything, alright?"

But I couldn't...I mean, how could I forget something as major as this?

I was about to indulge more into this heavy conversation, but the sound of knocking coming from the front door caught both of our attentions. Barbara immediately made a dash towards the door with me following right behind her. I kept hoping that it was my uncle at the door.

 _Please. Please. Please let it be him!_

I became filled with instant relief when I saw none other than my dear uncle Jim. He was standing on the other side of the front door. I felt all the constant worry I had for my uncle's safety leave me.

"Oh, my God, James." Barbara sighed in consolation and immediately brought my uncle into a hug. "We've been so worried about you."

My uncle returned the hug before he ended it and that's when he turned to look at me. My eye's widen and the worry I felt leave before had come back when I saw the injury he had right above his left eyebrow. And now that I got a better look at my uncle, I could see how worn out he was. He must have had one hell of a night. The injury he had still looked like it was slightly bleeding. My face became rigid. "Uncle Jim... what happened to you?" I asked, my voice shaking due to my concern and edge. Someone had _hurt_ my uncle...and that did not stand on my good side. Not at _all_. "Who did that to you?" I ended up asking him urgently.

My uncle just shook his head, dismissively. "Don't worry about it, Winifred. I'm fine, really." He said pushing away my questions.

"But uncle Jim _―_ how can you be _fine_? You left last night and didn't return in the morning. Barbara and I were on full worry mode all day and then you come here with a injury. How can you expect us, let alone _me_ to be okay with that? I _―_ I thought you were...I can't even dare say it out loud." My voice wavered and I felt my eyes glisten. "Uncle Jim, I just...I can't lose you. You're all I got." I said vehemently as I now felt tears roll down my cheeks. The solid mask I had put on to hide my real feelings had fallen off. I chastised myself for letting that happen. My uncle didn't have to deal with my emotional stress right now. But all the fret I was feeling, erupted out of me. I couldn't hold it in anymore and honestly... I didn't want to.

"Oh, _Winnie_. No, please don't cry." My uncle's face along with his voice softened as I heard him use that childish nickname only he got to call me by. My crying though didn't stop. It just increased and that's when I felt my uncle's arms wrap around me. "I'm okay now, see? I'm not going anywhere and you're not going to lose me Winnie. I can promise you that." He said trying to soothe my worry away.

I continued my crying, as I laid my head on my uncle's shoulder. I calmed down to just sniffles, due to the constant reassurance and comfort he was giving me. I tighten my hold on him and at one point he even made a lighthearted joke about how he didn't mind me clinging onto him like some Koala bear. I would be lying if I said it didn't make me laugh a little. It also made me release a smile.

I was so into the moment that I had totally forgotten that Barbara was there watching the whole scene. But to be honest I didn't even mind showing my weak side in front of her because I noticed how she watching us have our little family reunion with a tender expression set on her face. It was a nice gesture from her, but what I was really focusing on was that my uncle was here with me...and most importantly he was _alive_. I just hoped that if this ever happened again...which most likely would. (This was Gotham, after all.) That I would be able to handle myself better. But as for now, I was just going to take comfort in the arms of my dear uncle, James "Jim" Gordon.


	4. Chapter 4: When Winifred met Bruce

**_Disclaimer_ :** _I do not own Gotham or any of the characters. I only own my OC._

 _ **A/N:** Sorry for the late update! Hope this chapter makes up for it. Also for you **Oswald** fans I have a special cliffhanger in the end just for you guys. And for you **Jonathan** **Crane** fans, he will be making a brief appearance in the next chapter._

 ***Edited 1/27/17***

* * *

 _"Great heroes need great sorrows and burdens, or half their greatness goes unnoticed. It is all part of a fairy tale."_ _― Peter S. Beagle_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 4: When Winifred met Bruce**_

After the little 'tearful' moment I had, my uncle Jim and I were now making our way through the busy streets of Gotham. Before we had left Barbara's apartment, I had thanked her for her hospitality. Barbara in return had just told me it was no problem and before I even knew it she was already making plans for us to go to her art gallery next week.

I of course had no problem with this and nether did my uncle. In fact he looked mildly relieved that I was going to be spending time with someone. I knew his job was going to take a lot of his time, and I had a feeling that he felt bad about this.

Except I understood his work schedule now. He wasn't always going to be there to watch over me. Not that I needed him twenty four seven or anything. For heaven sakes I'm sixteen! I can take care of myself.

Besides, I knew that if I really needed him, he would be able to help me. He cared for me, like I cared for him. But I think the most important thing for me was that he was safe at his job.

I know the risks with being a cop, and the concern that comes with it. I mean, I got a glimpse of my worry towards my uncle's safety already. But this was his job. He was a homicide detective. This was what he wanted to do. So I wasn't going to nag to him about how dangerous it was.

I had just been worried, Barbara too.

My uncle could see that. Hence why he tried reassuring us to calm us down. Fat chance that would fully work though.

On the brighter side of things, I think my uncle liked that Barbara and I were getting familiar with each other now. And truth be told, I was starting to like Barbara. I didn't mind spending my time with her. In fact I was really excited to go her art gallery. It meant I had something to look forward to.

Anyways, currently my uncle and I were still making our way through the cramped up city streets of Gotham. He did inform me once we first got in his car that he needed to make a stop to visit someone. He was going to drop me off at his apartment, but I protested against that. Saying I didn't want to be away from him, because he had just gotten back. Which was true...but deep down I just wanted to go with him because I was curious to see who he was going to visit.

Luckily for me, my uncle's austere demeanor faltered when he saw my pleading puppy dog eyes. I saw how he was debating himself before he finally relented and told me I was allowed to go with him. And just to make him feel better about his decision, I promised I would be on my best behavior. Which I think brought him relief. Well somewhat anyways. I still didn't know where we were going, and that just added even more mystery.

"So...I met two of your co-workers." I said randomly, ending the silence in the car.

I could literally see how my uncle's ear perked up from hearing this. "What, when?" He asked me.

"When Barbara and I went to G.C.P. D. to see if you were there. Which you _weren't."_ I replied back to him.

My uncle sighed from the drivers seat. "Yeah...I know." He then paused before speaking again. "Anyways, who did you end up meeting?" He asked getting back to the question.

"Well I met your guys forensic scientist, Edward Nygma." A smile appeared on my face at the mention of Ed. The quirky scientist made a impression on me from the second I met him. "He's really random...but in a good way." I told my uncle pleasantly.

"Yeah Ed, tends to be a little eccentric." My uncle said and then let out a dry chuckle. "Okay, maybe more than just a little. Let me guess, he told you a riddle." He stated rather than asked me.

I nodded my head, causing my blonde wavy hair to bounce around. "Yeah, he did!" I exclaimed mirthfully. "From what I gathered he really likes asking people riddles."

"Oh, you have no idea..." My uncle muttered under his breath. But I still heard him, causing me to tilt my head at the sound of his tone. He cleared his throat. "So, who else did you meet?" He asked, continuing the conversation.

My voice lowered, nonchalant. "I met that partner of yours, Detective Bullock."

"Is that so?" My uncle said, becoming stringent. Although something must of made him change his attitude, because he suddenly became less guarded. "What did you think about him?" He ended up asking me.

Yeah, I bet his curiosity was getting the better of him, much like mine did most of the time. I can understand why though. We were talking about his work partner. They fought crime and went after the bad guys together. Anyways, I once read that partners in law enforcement were pretty much like brothers in real life. Which made sense to me. In that line of work they had to be. Trust and loyalty were key elements in order to make the relationship to work. Much like with family. So I of course tried my best to get rid of any rancor that I might have been in my tone of voice. I was after all a lady and my mother taught me to always put aside differences, along with keeping other improper opinions I had of others to myself.

"He seemed very...conscientious." I said trying to sound convincingly, but even I knew that sentence sounded like utter bull.

My uncle right away gave me a " _who you trying to fool?"_ type of stare before moving his eyes back onto the road.

I huffed knowing he saw right through my forced benignity towards Detective Bullock. "Alright fine! I find him to be more on the lackadaisical side." I admitted to him, crossing my arms over my chest.

Now my uncle's reaction was one I wasn't expecting. Because was laughing...like actually laughing. Which puzzled me.

"What's so funny?" I asked after a few seconds later, when he stopped laughing lowly to himself.

"It's just that I said the same thing when I first met him." My uncle said with a smile set on his face.

 _Huh...so he did now. Well that's interesting._

"Guess we have the same vocabulary and judge of character then, huh?" I jested to him with a smile of my own.

"Yeah, guess we do." My uncle agreed lightheartedly.

"Anyways, I don't think he's completely blase." I said in a more sanguine tone. "I mean he saved your life, right? So I can at least put him on my list of people I find decent enough to care about." I quipped.

My smile faltered when I saw the serious look my uncle suddenly got. "What do you mean by saved me?" He asked me attentively.

"You know from Mario Pepper. The guy who was about to kill you from the Wayne case." I explained to him. "I read it from the Gotham Gazette newspaper article."

"And who gave you the article?" My uncle questioned adamantly. "Was it Barbara?"

I grimaced. "Yes and no?" I answered him rather questionably.

"What do you mean by that?" My uncle asked. And even though he was staring at the road, I could see he was narrowing his eyes.

"Well I found the article on top of the coffee table and it caught my attention." I told him ingenuously.

"Did she tell you anything else?" My uncle inquired.

I hesitated.

"Um...no."

" _Winifred."_

My demeanor changed when I heard him use that parental tone with me. _Damn..._

"Alright." I huffed, uncrossing my arms. "She might have or not mentioned to me that the Wayne murders still remained a whodunit case."

"Damn it." My uncle cursed under his breath.

"Look, uncle Jim, don't be mad at Barbara. I was the one who kept trying to pry the truth out of her." I told him honestly. "Besides, you know how invasive I can be." I said trying to lighten up the mood.

My uncle wasn't taking this lightly. Not at all. "Winifred, I understand why the Wayne case caught your attention. After all the Wayne name is well recognized here in Gotham. Sooner or later you were going to find out about them. I know that. However, that doesn't just mean I want you involved with the case." I saw him shake his head in frustration, his jaw slightly clenching. "Barbara, should have never told you any of that information. Hell, I shouldn't even be telling you this right now. It's just gonna put you guys in more risky situations."

"So it's true? The case still remains open then?" I asked him, completely disregarding the whole parental lecture he just gave me.

" _Winifred."_ My uncle stressed out.

"Okay, okay." I said sheepishly. "I'm sorry...it's just that you're right. The Wayne case caught my attention from the moment I found out about it. I mean...what that poor unfortunate boy went through must have been tough." Sympathy could be heard in my voice. "And to even think that the real culprit is still at large...I don't know how I would feel, let alone act if I were in his shoes."

My uncle let out a aghast sigh. "Yes, he's been through a lot. Which is why I have to tell him the truth."

My eyes widen at this. "You mean to tell me he doesn't know the truth regarding the murder of his parents?" I exclaimed in shock.

"No, but I'm going to tell him right now."

"Wait, so that's where we're going? To his house for you to tell him the truth."

"Yes, but don't think just because you know this information, means you can get involved or tell others. Winifred, this is dangerous information to know, and if the wrong person found out the truth...it could put your life in danger. Like I said earlier this city, it's more unfit than I thought it was. And if anything happened to you...I wouldn't be able to forgive myself." My uncle said whole heartily, before shaking his head again. "I shouldn't even be telling you stuff." He said again, upset at himself. "In fact Barbara shouldn't have brought any of my work related stuff up to begin with. I'm going to gave to talk to her about this and-"

"Uncle Jim, like I said before it's not her fault. Please don't be angry with her. If anything blame me for my curiosity. Not her, okay?"

My uncle sighed. "Well you always did let your curiosity get the best of you, huh? Alright fine, just please don't make it a habit." He told me somewhat sternly. "And promise me you won't tell anyone anything concerning the Wayne case." I heard how his voice now became more serious with me. "Like I said, this is dangerous territory, Winifred. So please promise me this."

"I _promise,_ uncle Jim. I won't tell anyone else any information regarding the Wayne case." The honesty could be heard in my voice, and I saw how he gave a firm nod to this.

After that the car ride became quiet, as compatibility now filled the air. Which I frankly was very glad about.

* * *

It took about thirty minutes or so, but my uncle Jim and I finally made it to our destination.

 _Wayne Manor._

Now let me tell you something...

Never in my whole life have I ever seen such a huge piece of property before, let alone a house like this. It was definitely eye-catching.

The Wayne Manor was secluded quite far from the city life, that it was closer to the woodland area. Trees surrounded the home state property. Once I got a better look at the house, (or should I say mansion) I was left in even more awe.

It was striking in the best was possible. There was this vibe that came off it that made the place more serenely cordial. Unlike with the other gloomy buildings that Gotham had. Those just gave off a murky vibe instead.

Now in order for us to get inside the property, we had to go through these massive solid gates. Which made me think this place was heavily guarded with security.

Once we were inside, my uncle parked his car in front of the Manor. We both got out of the car at the same time. I instantly felt how cold it was when my body came into contact with the outside.

I shuddered a bit, but over it didn't really bother me. I loved the cold and it felt amazing against my face. While inwardly enjoying the weather, I looked around the front property, taking in my surroundings. I noticed how there was still some left over snow on the grass. The sight of the white fluffy snow reminded me of Boston.

I began to feel bitter-sweet.

I mean, it made me happy that it snowed here, but honestly I would of preferred Boston snow.

I know, I know. That's a silly thing to say. Snow is snow, no matter where you're at, right?"

Well...I guess not for me.

Boston was my home. I spent sixteen years of my life living in one place. I grew up playing in the snow there. Making snow angels and snowmen with my mother. Those were fond filled memories. So really there was no competition between Boston and Gotham. Because to me Boston would win. Every-time.

But hey, I gotta be more open right? To change...I had to at least give it a try.

I turned my head around towards the front of the Manor. I let my gaze go all the way to the top. I was just about to look away, when something caught my attention. I had to narrow my eyes, but I was able to confirm what I was staring at. It was a young boy...and he was on top of the roof.

I started to panic.

 _Just what the hake is he doing up there?! He could fall and break a bone or something worse could happen to him!_

"Uncle Jim!" I yelled out loud.

My distressed voice filled the air and my uncle quickly turned towards me. I vehemently gestured with my hand to where the boy was at. He followed my hand and his eyes grew wide with alarm once he finally saw him.

It was then in that moment that the front door of the Manor opened. Out came a middle aged man who was dressed in well sharped attire. He saw my uncle and I standing there and began making his way towards us. His gaze lingered on me and I think he was about to introduce himself, but my uncle and I made him stop walking when saw us both looking at the roof anxiously.

The man became puzzled by our actions but followed where are gazes went. He quickly saw what the fuss was about and I noticed how his expression became fretful. Although there was also a touch of annoyance on his face as well.

"Hey! Master Bruce! Get your bloody ass down here!" He yelled in a heavy British accent. "How many times have I told you?"

My eyes widen when I heard him say that.

This was Bruce Wayne? More importantly this wasn't the first time he had done this?! _Say what?!_

The three of us saw how Bruce faltered in whatever he was doing and watched as he slowly climbed down the roof. I let out a breath of relief on finally knowing he was no longer in danger of falling off over the edge.

"Ah, yes, well now that has been taking care of." The well dressed man sighed and then turned to look at my uncle and I. "I don't believe we have met before." He said looking at me, his British was quite comprehensible.

I was about to introduce myself, but my uncle beat me to it.

"Alfred, this is my niece, Winifred. Winifred, this Alfred." My uncle said introducing us to each other.

"Alfred Pennyworth, at your services, Miss Winifred." Alfred said politely.

I smiled at his manners. "Hello, Alfred. It's nice to meet you."

"Like wise, Miss Winifred, but I didn't have the slightest clue that detective Gordon had a niece." He said stressing that towards my uncle.

"She just moved in with me." My uncle explained rapidly. He then gave Alfred a knowing look. "Alfred, I'm here to speak to Bruce. It's involving his parent's.

Alfred looked taken back a bit by how my uncle brought this topic with me right in front of him.

My uncle gave him a reassured look. "Don't worry she knows, but she's reliable about keeping this between us. Isn't that right, Winifred?"

"Yup!" I said zipping my lips, and then pretending to throw away the key.

I saw how Alfred let out a small smile, before he set his face in a solemn expression. "Very well then, right this way." He said making his way towards the front door. Once there he held it wide open for us.

My uncle and I followed behind and then walked through the door, finally stepping inside Wayne Manor.

* * *

When we made it further inside Wayne Manor, both my uncle and I agreed that it would be for the best if I withheld from the chat he was going to have with Bruce. Which in all honesty, I didn't mind.

I already knew the truth, but that didn't mean Bruce would be comfortable enough to talk in front of someone he didn't know. (Which was me.) So I agreed to stay behind, waiting in another room that the Manor had.

Alfred being the kind host that he was, brought me a nice warm up of tea and a tray that had chocolate biscuits. Which were very delicious by the way, and it only made me like the British butler more and more. He had manners and a air of adroitness to him. It was very gripping to say the least.

After Alfred excused himself, I allowed myself to eat more of the chocolate biscuits and I finished drinking my tea. I got up from the couch I was sitting on and walked around the room I was in. It was a very lavish room. It had several bookshelves, but the books in here were just encyclopedias and dictionaries. Made me wonder where they kept their good books.

The room had a large window as well. Giving a great view of the outside area. Towards the left of the room there was a wooden desk that held several items on top. Papers, a old type of lamp, and a fancy looking photo-frame. I made my way towards the desk and carefully picked up the frame. I stared at the photo. It was one with a older looking man and woman. The couple looked happy. I had a heart wrenching feeling when I got the idea about who the couple in the photo were.

"That's my mom and dad."

A sudden soft voice spoke out, startling me a bit. I held onto the photo-frame not wanting to drop it. Heaven knows I would have probably thrown a giant fit if someone had broken the photo-frame I had of my mother. I carefully put the frame back in place and then turned towards where I heard that soft voice come from.

I saw a young boy and I immediately knew who he was.

 _Bruce Wayne._

The boy who I had seen standing on top of the roof.

He looked to be thirteen or so. Only three years younger than me, I presumed so anyways. His hair was dark and his skin was just as fair as mine. As for clothes, he was wearing well dressed pants, a grey sweater over a blue collared shirt and red tie. So, overall he looked very sophisticated for a young boy.

I noticed how a amicable expression began to slowly grow on his face. I gave an amiable smile in return.

"You look like them..." I said softly as I gestured to the photo-frame. My voice soften. "I'm sorry for what happened..."

His face seemed to sadden at the mention of his parents. "Thank you..." There a pause, and despite him trying to compose himself, I was still able to see pain his eyes. He spoke again, his voice a bit more formal. "I saw you standing outside with Detective Gordon earlier. I didn't know who you were until he informed me that you're his niece." He said to me and then got closer towards where I was at. His head tilted to the a side a bit, as he studied what I guessed was my facial features. He then straighten his posture. "I can see the resemblance now." He said and then a small smile graced his young face. One of his hands extended towards me. "I'm Bruce Wayne." He introduced himself to me with that same soft voice of his.

It was then in this moment that was the beginning of a very venturesome friendship.

Right now though I didn't have the slightest clue that the meeting of one person would make a giant impact in my life. Along with the other people that would soon come barreling into my life.

But me meeting Bruce was certainly a life changing moment.

I didn't know that now, but I would later on.

Because I had no idea that this boy, Bruce Wayne, would become like a younger brother to me. That he would eventually become Gotham's black crusader, infamous vigilant, and one of the many people that would end up saving me more than once in the upcoming years.

None of us knew this yet, because we were just kids. Oh, but how that was going to change over the years. ….

We still had a lot to go through, individually and together, in order to become who we were meant to be in the future. But as of right now in this moment, having absolutely no idea what the future had in store for us, I just did what was the normal thing to do.

I took his hand in mine and shook it, smiling while doing so. "It's nice to meet you, Bruce. I'm Winifred Gordon." I kindly introduced myself to him.

Unbeknownst to me, this was one of the few rare introductions that were going to bring good changes into my life. Unlike with the other people I would soon meet...specifically with another _boy._

A much older boy with fiery red hair, sea green eyes, who had a contagious laugh, and who was much wilder and unpredictable than anyone else I would ever meet in my life. A boy who was able to trick me with his innocent facade, making me fall head over heels for him, just like he had wanted me to. That even when I learned the blood-curling truth about him and of what he _did..._ I wouldn't be able to lie to myself that I felt something strong for him. Whether it was love or hate, I don't know. Though to be honest it was probably the latter, because he got under my skin...and he got me _good._

Which is why now thinking about it, _years_ later, that I take great joy in meeting Bruce Wayne. Seeing as this was a time before any of crazy stuff happened in my life.

Well...the less dense crazy stuff. But I knew what my fate would eventually bring to me. It was only a matter of time now before I would first lay my eyes on _him_.

Until then, I'd just have to live my life as I normally would. Well as normal as I could in Gotham.

"It's nice to meet you as well." Bruce said politely to me before we ended our hand shake. "Detective Gordon says you'll be residing with him now. Is this true?" He asked with curiosity.

I put my hands to my sides, as I nodded my head. "Yes, that's true. I just moved here from Boston." I informed him.

Bruce nodded his head, but then I saw his expression form into one of hesitation. It was as if he were contemplating something. He then after a few seconds spoke up. "If you don't mind me asking Winifred. Why the sudden move to Gotham?"

My posture went rigid for a bit. "Oh..." Taking a deep breath I steadied my voice before I continued talking again. "Well, you see my mother...she isn't doing so good. So I had to come live with my Uncle Jim."

Bruce looked concerned. "What happened to your mother?" He asked me softly.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "She's sick." I told him and I was pretty sure he could still hear the dismay in my voice, no matter how hard I tried to hide it. "Her mental health isn't the best right now...and it probably won't be for a while." I quickly composed myself and shook away my sorrow. "Anyways, that's why I'm living with my Uncle Jim here in Gotham. He's my legal guardian for the time being."

After I finished explaining, I saw how Bruce's expression turn into one of sadness. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear about your mother." His voice then lowered. "Is your uncle Jim your only family though?"

I was slightly confused as to why he was asking me this, but nonetheless I answered his question. "Yes, he is."

"What about your father?" He suddenly asked me.

I froze.

There it was...

That one nagging question I always got.

Even before moving to Gotham, that impending question was always thrown at me. It was no secret that my mother was a single parent. She had been that way since I was born and everyone we knew in Boston knew that as well. Still for some reason people always asked my mother and I the question of where my father was at.

Why wasn't he with us? Was he dead? And so on.

It annoyed me to no end, but I guess they couldn't accept the fact that my mother raised me on her own. But the question instead of annoyance, now made me now feel a great amount of distress, because not only did it remind me that I grew up fatherless, but it now reminded me that my mother was longer in my life. No, she was in some mental hospital getting the help she needed. It was bittersweet because although locked up, she was getting treated for her illness, but I still wasn't able to be with her...

Of course I didn't blame Bruce for asking this question. He didn't know me, unlike with those other people. He wasn't a gossip looking to be entertained either. He was just a young boy who had lost both his parents. So he must of been greatly confused as to why I moved in with my uncle Jim. He must of thought I left my parents or something. But that wasn't the truth, so I decided to be straight out honest with him. Even if it did hurt to talk about my... _father_.

"I don't have a father." I said guardedly, before much to my reluctance I ended up stuttering a bit. "I mean I, uh, obviously do have one, but he's not involved in my life. Never has been. I've never met him. I don't even know his name..."

At this I saw Bruce's eyes drop and I wanted to slap myself for making him feel that way. The poor boy already had enough sorrow to deal with. He didn't need my emotional baggage as well.

"I'm sorry..." Bruce said, his voice apologetic. "I shouldn't have asked about your personal life." He then let out an aghast sigh and I heard his voice quake up a bit with emotion. "It's just that I thought _―_ since I lost my parents and detective Gordon told me about you moving in with him...well I just assumed you were like me..."

"What do you mean?" I asked placidly, my voice still soft.

"That you lost your parents too." Bruce said before he shook his head in contrition. "But I shouldn't have assumed that or pried information about you or your family." He looked at me and I saw the conscience-stricken expression he had on. "I'm so sorry I asked you such a incongruous question ..."

He was remorseful about his priding, that was plainly obvious. But he didn't need to apologize, there was no hard feelings coming from my end. I wasn't angry at him. So to let him now that, I in return just gave him a tender smile along with a gentle squeeze to his shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not mad. I get it, you thought I was going through the same thing you are and you just wanted someone to relate to. I mean I don't want to compare lives or anything, but in a way I guess I kinda understand. So if you ever need someone to talk to _―_ "

I didn't get to finish my heartfelt sentence, because I was suddenly enveloped into a tight hug.

Bruce had wrapped his arms around my mid section, and his head was leaning against my right shoulder due to me being slightly taller than him. At first I was rather surprised by the abrupt hug, but I quickly returned it knowing this poor boy needed some sort of comfort. So I gently and dotingly hugged him back, putting all the solace I had into the hug.

I felt him return it just as equally. "Thank you..." I heard him say against my shoulder.

All I did was nod my head as I patted his back, letting him know I had heard him. We remained hugging for who knows how long, but I didn't mind. Frankly, I think this was a gesture we were both desperate yearning for. And to be honest this tender-hearted moment made me feel like an older sibling. An older sister giving comfort to her younger brother. It was a nice feeling.

 _"Hmmph."_

A cough that was let out in the room made Bruce and I end our hug. I looked towards where the door was at and saw how my uncle Jim and Alfred were standing there. My uncle had a small smile on his face while Alfred's expression held the same thing. Although I could tell he was trying to hide it more. He then looked over towards Bruce. "Everything alright master Bruce?" He asked in complete genteel, his British accent thick.

Bruce nodded his head before he shot me a grateful smile. "Yes, everything's fine. I was just getting more acquainted with Winifred." He then looked over towards my uncle Jim. "She's very kind, please know that you and her are always welcome here anytime, Detective Gordon."

My uncle in return looked a little bit surprised from hearing this but he quickly gave Bruce a nod. My uncle then moved his gaze towards me, his expression filled with mild content. "You ready to go?" He asked me.

I nodded my head at my uncle, and then turned to look towards Bruce again. "It was nice meeting you, Bruce." I then looked towards his English Butler. "You too Alfred, and thank you for those lovely chocolate biscuits and warm tea."

Alfred gave me a small smile. "You're very welcome, dear." He told me in a courteous tone.

I made my way towards my uncle Jim, but before I even took a step, Bruce gave me another quick hug.

"I hope you visit again soon." He whispered to me.

I gave into the embrace. "I'll try." I replied lowly, only enough for him to hear. I ended the warm-hearted hug and walked over to where my uncle was at near the door. I glanced over my shoulder to face Bruce, and gave him along with his well-mannered English butler a smile, before I finally walked out through the door with my uncle Jim.

"Bruce certainly took a liking towards you." My uncle comment cordially, as soon as we were in his car.

"He just needed a shoulder to lean on." I told him in a faint voice. "Poor boy has suffered a lot..."

My uncle let out an aghast sigh. "Yes...he has. Which is why I'm glad that you two got along. Even though I'm still against you being apart of this, at least now maybe his sorrow will lessen."

I twirled the charm bracelet my mom gave me out of habit. "I sure hope so..." I replied back to my uncle softly.

Which was the truth. Although I just met Bruce Wayne, I couldn't help but feel a slight sisterly connection towards him. I mean here was a boy who was left orphaned with no family members. All he had was a kind butler to look after him. So of course I instantly got that vibe you get when you want to protect and take care of a younger sibling. I mean I know I'm an only child, but this sibling feeling towards Bruce came naturally. So I just welcomed it. To be honest, I always wanted a younger sibling to take care and watch over. So maybe I could become like an older sister figure to Bruce. I just wanted to take away his pain...and maybe along the way mine would go away as well. I hoped anyways.

One thing I knew for sure was that this wouldn't be the last time I would visit Wayne Manor. I had a feeling I would be making frequent visits here with my uncle. Which was something I was rather looking forward to.

These thoughts were racing through my mind as my uncle was passing through the Wayne gate entrance. Almost immediately as we passed it, I could of sworn I caught a glimpse of a small figure on top on one of the wall entrances, but within a blink of an eye the figure was gone.

I pondered...huh? Strange.

I quickly passed it off thinking it was my eyesight playing tricks on me. I mean, what else could it have been?

After that my uncle and I then made our way out of Wayne Manor and drove into the direction of his apartment.

* * *

It's been a week now since I've moved to Gotham and let me tell you, things have not settled down at all.

First of all, much to my relief I hadn't started school yet. Turns out the school district here was still on their winter break. Which was great for me. However this was my last week before I had to start school. Which meant that starting next Monday I was officially going to be enrolled at Gotham High. _Yeah_...that was something I felt nervous about. Not that I would admit it out loud. _Psh_. Since I didn't want my uncle Jim to know about something so foolish and childish like that. Especially with everything that has been happening in the city lately. I mean things here in Gotham have been cray cray.

Like I've mentioned before, things have not settled down in the slightest. I mean, first off there was that case my uncle had barely finished a few days ago that involved a group of people snatching homeless children off the streets. Which had me worried for the children's safety. I might have not known those children personally, but I was still worried for them. I mean, when I hear abduction and children in the same sentence, that immediately has me concerned.

Luckily my uncle Jim and his oh so reliable partner detective Bullock, were able to put an end to the street abductions. But things didn't end there because the case took a turn for the worst, when the sleazy child abductors took a bus load of children that were being sent upstate.

Now to be honest I strongly disagreed with the way those children were being treated. They were disregarded like broken toys that were being thrown away. The mayor's rash decision to send them away as if they were nothing, was unjust and not to mention totally unfair to me. My uncle felt the same way and he told the mayor about how unreasonable he was being. Unfortunately, no matter what my uncle said to him, the mayor didn't bat a lash about how harsh he was being with sending the children upstate. He simply didn't care. Which angered me. Those children shouldn't have been treated that way. As if they were nothing. They were young human beings! They deserved to be treated with respect. To be cared for and to be given homes with loving families. Not to be thrown away like trash. I mean just because they were homeless, that didn't automatically make them delinquents. They were just living the life they were unfairly given. But the mayor didn't listen to my uncle and thanks to his choice to send them upstate, it made it much easier for the child snatchers to abduct the children all over again. Since they were all ready to go from the buses they were piled in.

Anyways, thank goodness my uncle and detective Bullock, because they made it in time to the crime and they needed up saving all the children. And I was glad to be informed by my uncle that they had arrested the sleazy child snatchers and that they were now in jail. Exactly were they belonged.

But like I said before, that case was from a few days ago.

The new case that was causing headlines now was a rather bizarre one.

It involved a man tying up people to weather balloons. It was quite comical when compared to the other crimes I've seen so far in Gotham. But it only caused me great bemusement as well. I mean, why was this man using weather balloons? And why tie people to them? From watching the news, the people of Gotham had already given this mysterious man a name. _The balloon man_. He was known as vigilantly that brought justice to Gotham by punishing those who were corrupt in higher positions.

So in a way I kind of found what this man was doing to be admirable. But at the same time I knew it wasn't the right way to handle things. I mean, this balloon man, based on his actions, thought he was doing the right thing. But there was the matter of fact that he was going against the law.

Except, I remember reading once that in order to do something good, sometimes you had to do something bad first.

Now for me personally, this was tricky. It was hard to choose which side to be on. But I knew for sure which side my uncle Jim was on.

He was a detective and he stood for the law. So he obviously thought this balloon man was bringing disruption to the city. Which like I said, in a way I could understand that.

Still, nonetheless I found the case to be rather intriguing.

This case though was still ongoing and my uncle was working really hard on it. He even left early this morning to go to the G.C.P.D. that he didn't even get a chance to eat the breakfast I made him. So that meant I had an extra plate of delicious food to eat this morning.

Anyways after my uncle left and once I finished my breakfast, I quickly cleaned the kitchen and then went back into my room.

The room I was residing in now, definitely felt more like me. The once plain white walls were now a light purple. All of my clothes were unpacked from my suit cases and were stored into my dresser drawers or bedroom closet. There were several band posters taped around the room purple light walls. I also unpacked bedroom lights as well and those were hanged around my window. Giving the room a nice warm glow. So, overall it definitely fit my personally more than before.

Just as I was about to lay down on my bed and listen to music on my laptop, I suddenly heard the front door to the apartment open. My ears perked up when I heard this and I quickly left my bedroom and went into the living room to investigate. I rather surprised to see my uncle Jim standing near the front door. I thought for sure he wasn't going to come back until night time.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Uncle Jim? What are you doing here? Aren't you suppose to be working on that balloon man case?" I asked him.

My uncle made his way towards the living room and shrugged off his suit jacket. "I am I just needed to refresh myself a bit." He said laying his suit jacket on the couch.

"What do you mean?" I asked confused. I began making my way towards him, but froze half way when I suddenly got a whiff of something foul. " _Eh_ , uncle Jim why do you smell like a sewer?" I scrunched up my nose. I couldn't help it, he smelled really gross. _Yuck_.

My uncle let out a huff. "It's a long story. Look, I'm just going to take a quick shower and then I'm heading back to the station. Barbara is about to finish up a work meeting. She told me to ask you if you wanted to spend the day with her."

 _Hmm_.

I thought about his question.

I can either spend some time with Barbara or stay cooped up here all day? Well, that was an easy choice now, wasn't it?

"Yeah, I'd like that." I said to him in a lopsided smile.

My uncle smiled and started making his way towards me with his arms wide open. I quickly held my hand up, stopping him form getting close to me. "Uncle Jim, I love your hugs and all, but I'd rather hug you when you don't smell like a sewer pipe." I said laughing.

My uncle let out a chuckle. "Yeah, you're right. Anyways, I'll go shower now, but call Barbara and let her know you want to spend the day with her."

After saying that, my uncle went over to the bathroom and closed the door. I waited until I heard the shower water running before I went back into my room and grabbed my cellphone. I then slowly dialed Barbara's number and waited for her to pick up.

Hopefully my time with her would be fun. After all she did promise to take me to her art gallery.

* * *

My afternoon so far with Barbara had been very interesting and it was actually time well spent.

We did ended up going to her art gallery and I have to say it was _amazing_.

All the art designs, portraits, paintings were prepossessing to look at. They all captured beauty and grace. In fact their was this one specific painting I found to be so meaningful that I couldn't stop staring at it. And It was't until Barbara brought me out of my trance that I finally snapped out of it.

The painting itself had been a simple one.

It was of a middle aged woman who was sitting on a chair, as she gazed at herself in her bedroom mirror. Except the way she was captured in painting was kind of melancholic. Yes, the woman in the painting was beautiful and she staring at her own reflection, but the way she had her facial features made me think that she didn't see her own beauty...no in fact I think all she saw was misery and sorrow. And all her faults.

I know it was a rather depressing way of thinking, but I that's why I liked the painting so much. It felt so...real. Not to mention it reminded me of the drawing I did that reminded me of my mother. The woman in the painting was beautiful like my mother too, but I could also tell that she had lost the light she once had in her life. Just like my mother. The same light that she'd always tell me to keep holding onto. That even when life was down in the ruins, that the light was my salvation.

 _"Always look on the bright side. Things may seem hard now, but think about the sun that radiates light. That will get you through."_

My mother's heart-felt words kept playing in my head, until Barbara and I finally left the art gallery.

After our art exploration, Barbara and I decided to go eat. She asked me where I wanted to go, but I really didn't know any places to eat at in Gotham. So I just told Barbara that I wanted to eat somewhere simple and not too extravagant. I wasn't a picky eater, nor did I care about luxurious dining. Just as long as the food was good, then I'd be fine. Since I loved to eat. Many people in the past that I've known always thought the opposite of that.

The loving to eat food part, I mean.

I guess it because of how skinny and l was. I remember there was even a time in middle school when people thought I was dieting to the extreme or something. Which I wasn't, I was eating just fine and healthy. Besides, I would never go on a diet. Unless of course the doctors told me it was for my health. But I was already in good condition. Anyways, I'm not anorexic or anything. The reason why I was so thin was because I had a fast metabolism. So for the people who thought I had some disorder, I always proved them wrong by showing them how much food I could eat. And let me tell you I have a pretty large stomach.

My stomach was especially hungry right now and I was glad we finally choose a place to eat at. It was a small but cozy diner named Rosie's. It was only half full with Gotham city residents and it gave off this fifties retro vibe. I instantly liked it. A waitress then came over and she looked to be about in her early twenties. She was even wearing a pair of skates, which I found to be pretty darn awesome!

The waitress then asked us for our order.

Barbara ended up getting the stake special with a side of mashed potatoes and green beans. While I decided to try out the diner's deluxe bacon special burger with curly fries and a large chocolate shake. After calling out my order I saw how shocked yet slightly impressed the waitress was and I could tell she was probably wondering if I was going to finish that food.

 _Well I am!_

I thought smugly, before I gave her a smile and watched as she rolled away in her skates. I then looked towards Barbara and saw how she was giving me a smile.

"You sure have a huge appetite." She told me laughing a little.

"Yeah I do. People always think that just because of how skinny I am that I don't eat. Which is not true at all." I told her leaning against the booth seat. "I love to eat all kinds of food. It's not my fault I burn calories fast." With a frown I then pointed to my stomach and chest area. "I kinda wish I had curves though. That I'd be more filled. I'm as flat as a pancake."

"Hey, don't say that." Barbara said to me in what sounded like a mother chastising their child. "You're fine the way you are. You should feel confident about your own body. Own it. Remember confidence is an important quality to have." She then smiled roguishly and playfully. "After all confidence is what lures the boys in."

I scoffed and pushed a blonde hair behind my ear. "Right boys."

"Oh, come on." Barbara gushed. "It's just us girls now. So spill, you got a type? Hmm blondes, brunettes?" Her smile then widen. "What about red heads?"

I couldn't help but laugh a little. "I don't really have a type...although red heads kind of catch my interest a little, but other than that I don't have a specific type."

"Oh, well you probably had a boyfriend back in Boston though, right?" Barbara asked with her eyes gleaming in excitement.

"No, no boyfriend." I said shaking my head, as I played with my light blue sweater that I had on. My once laughter was now gone. I was never really one to talk about boys and such.

"What? No boyfriend, how come?" Barbara asked me in disbelief.

I slouched a little in the seat and let out a sigh.

"Well none of the boys captured my attention. Not to mention I didn't have time to date. With what my mom being sick and all. So dating and boys were kind of pointless for me."

Barbara's playfully exterior faltered. "Oh right your mother." She then gave me a rueful expression. "I'm sorry I forgot. It's just that...well James is never the one to talk about his sister. He doesn't even like mentioning her name to me _―_ "

"It's Kinsley."

"I'm sorry what?"

"My mother's name is Kinsley." I explained to her and I saw her steel blue eyes soften.

"That's a very pretty name."

I gave her a small smile in return. "Thank you...anyways I think that my uncle Jim doesn't like talking about her to others, because I know that him and my mother were close. So I think with her getting sick, it really brought him down. He probably feels guilty for not being there for her either. But like I told him, he shouldn't. My mother understood that he had a job to keep."

"Your mother sounds like a very understanding woman." Barbara told me.

"She is." I said with a sorrow filled smile. "She's strong too. Which is why I hope she'll overcome this illness, because I know that my mother isn't crazy. Despite what others might say...she _isn't_ crazy. She just has...issues."

Barbara rose an eyebrow. "Issues?" She said slowly, testing out the word for herself.

I nodded my head vehemently. "Yeah."

I saw something click within Barbara steel blue eyes, but I didn't get to dwell on it since our order of food came in that exact moment.

We ate are food in peaceful silence, an occasional smile thrown in there.

I was more focused on my food though. I was really enjoying the burger and fries. It was actually really good! Now I knew for sure that I was going to come back and eat here again.

Barbara was enjoying her food as well. I noticed that she gave me a sort of bemused smile when I started dipping my curly fries into my chocolate shake. In return I just simply gave her a shoulder shrug and continued eating my fries and shake in tranquility. I was already use to this type of stares since at a young age. I mean, one hardly ever sees people dip there fires into their shakes. Well at least I hardly ever saw people do that. But that didn't stop me from enjoying my meal. Not ever.

So I continued eating and after a while the both of us finished with our meals. Barbara was asking me if I wanted to look at the desert menu when the TV that was on the wall caught both of our attentions. It was saying something about the balloon man being caught by authorities and no sooner after we heard that both me and Barbara shared meaningful expressions. The two of us then quickly got out of the booth. Barbara then paid the waitress for our food, right before we left in a hurry knowing we had to see if the one person we both cared about was okay.

* * *

When Barbara and I were were driving through the streets of Gotham, she had called my uncle Jim before hand and much to our relief he had picked up the call. My uncle then informed us that he was at her apartment and we immediately felt relief after he told us that. Barbara then practically zoomed there traffic and within twenty minutes or actually probably less than that, we finally made it to her apartment.

As soon as we got out of the elevator I made a dash towards her apartment door and swung it open. I was the first one to go in with Barbara right behind me. I felt great consolation when I saw my uncle Jim sitting on one of Barbara's couches that was facing the front.

"Uncle Jim!" I exclaimed before I ran to where he was. My uncle heard me and he stood up from the couch and quickly enveloped me into his arms. This time I had to remind myself to calm down. Unlike the last time where I let my emotions get the best of me, this time I had them under control and I felt proud for that. I had to remain strong for my uncle.

After we ended our hug I saw Barbara walk up from behind me and I watched as the two of them embraced quickly.

"You're okay." She breathed out in relief, but when she caught the sore expression my uncle had she hesitated slightly. "Are you okay?"

My uncle sighed aghast, before he took a seat on the couch again. I sat down next to him, while Barbara kneeled down in front of him.

"Yeah. I fell that's all." My uncle said diverting away the concern. "I'm fine."

I however was not convinced by this and neither was Barbara.

"What's wrong?" She asked him, putting a comforting hand on top of his.

My uncle stayed quiet before Barbara gave him a sympathetic look. "I want you to know that you can tell us anything." She told my uncle, before she gave me a quick glance and I in return gave her a grateful smile. She was trying to make him feel better and I appreciated that. I then turned towards my uncle and gave him a caring expression as well.

My uncle though took a moment before he spoke up. I heard his voice and it was filled disenchantment. "This city is sick." He shook his head in disappointment. "Sick in a way I hadn't realized before."

The room was quiet for a few seconds as Barbara and I were taking in everything he was saying.

"When they were taking him away, this balloon man killer...I asked who his last target was. You know what he said?" My uncle Jim asked us with dismay before he answered the question himself. "Doesn't matter."

Barbara and I still remained silent as my Uncle took a deep breath to calm himself.

"He meant the mayor, judges, anyone in a position of power..." My uncle sighed sadly. "They're all guilty."

I literally could feel my uncles sorrow, for the city he once thought that was righteous and I saw the disconnectedness within his warm blue eyes.

"But that's not true." Barbara argued.

"That's how he feels." My uncle retorted referring to the balloon man. "That's how they all feel. Everyone. That's why the city embraced him. Because we let them down." His voice then became filled with emotion. "But if people take the law into their own hands...then there is no law. And we're lost." I saw how his eyes lowered to the ground, full with shame. "There are cops who do it. Same thing he did." My uncle told us before he slowly rose his eyes up again.

Barbara then gave my uncle a knowing look, as did I.

"But you never would." She told him earnestly.

"Do you think I could?" My uncle asked desolately.

Barbara shook her head. "No."

"She's right uncle Jim." I said speaking up with a fervent voice. "You're not like the rest of them."

"Exactly." Barbara chipped in. "We both know you Jim Gordon." Her voice then soften and she gave my uncle a look filled with love. "And I love you." She told him before giving him a peck on his lips.

I saw my uncle give us a small smile in return.

Barbara then took a deep breath. "And now I'm gonna get you a drink." She told my uncle with a smile, lightening up the mood before she stood up.

I then gave my uncle a side hug, since were both still sitting down.

"It's okay, uncle Jim." I said in solace and felt as he gently returned the hug.

All of a sudden I heard a knocking coming from the front door.

"I'll get it." Barbara informed us.

I didn't really dwell on who would be knocking, since all I wanted to do in this moment was comfort my dear uncle Jim.

But I still heard Barbara open the door and when she did there was a slight pause.

"Jim?" She called out my uncles name softly after a moment of silence.

Both my uncle and I looked up towards the now open door. I was immediately taken by great surprise when I saw a man I didn't recognize stand outside the door. From where I was sitting at I could tell he was average height. He was also really pale. His nose was slightly crooked and pointy looking as well. His black unkempt hair was spiky and he was wearing a sharp black suit.

In all honestly not be rude or anything, but he kind of looked like a penguin...

What unnerved me to the core though was the eerie smile he had plastered on his pale face.

"Hello, James...old _friend_."

After I heard him speak for the first time, I couldn't help but feel a sort of uneasiness due to his voice. Not to mention what he said made my stomach drop. He called my uncle Jim his friend. Not only that but an old friend. How in the world did my uncle Jim know this man?

I turned towards my uncle and I saw how he had a look of shock and disbelief set on his face. His posture went stiff as well, even as I as he abruptly stood up from the couch. He tried moving my way to block the view from the man, but it was no use. I had already seen him, and I noticed how the mysterious man was now staring at me with his piercing eyes.

And as soon as his eyes locked onto my blue ones, I saw how they gleamed up a bit with interest. I felt shivers go down my back when his eerie smile grew more with enlightenment. I felt complete anxiousness, as I wondered why in the world this strange man was staring at me as if I were his next meal...


	5. Chapter 5: Wanting to be friends

**_Disclaimer:_ **_I do not own Gotham or any of the characters. I only own my OC._

 ** _A/N:_ **_I also do not own **Fitz and the Tantrums** or **Grouplove** , or any of their songs used in this chapter._

* * *

 _"Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit."_ _― Aristotle_

* * *

 _ **Chapters 5: Wanting to be friends**_

You know that tension filled silence? The one that tends to happen during awkward moments?

 _Yeah_...

Well unfortunately that was happening right now.

My uncle Jim was still in momentary shock. His tall built figure was still trying to cover me from the mysterious man's gaze. Which in case I forgot to mention, was still on me...

It was like he was staring at me in utter complete fascination. Frankly he was starting to kind of creep me out. I wasn't a plate of food or anything...and with the way my uncle seemed to be on guard, well it told me that something was severely off...

The man must have noticed my discomfort, but he payed no mind to it since he kept his smiling gaze on me. Thankfully he turned towards Barbara who was holding the door open.

"You must be Barbara?"

Barbara nodded her head. "Yes, please come in." She said politely. I could tell she was somewhat confused with what was going on too, but she still manged to be well mannered with him.

The man wasted no time with coming in and making his way towards my uncle and I. Something I noticed right away was _how_ he walked...or should I say hobbled? He had a bad leg. He must have injured himself somehow...but also add that to the fact with how he looked and was dressed like didn't exactly help with the whole penguin resemblance.

I cringed inwardly thinking how he must have been called that name by others all the time. _Geez_ , that must be brutal, being called a penguin. I always found penguins to be cute and adorable. But with the way this man looked like...well I don't know exactly what to say. I don't even know him, but having him just staring at me made me feel uneasy. I guess the main question was did I want to get to know him? Well...I really didn't have a choice anymore since he was already inside Barbara's apartment. Not to mention he was standing right in front of my uncle and I.

"James, hi." The man greeted with glee, his gaze set on my uncle's face before he slowly moved his eyes towards me...yet _again_.

Now that he closer I got a better look at the color of his eyes. They were a strange unique type of blue. He also had yellowish teeth, from what I assumed must have been from lack of nourishment. I swallowed a gulp in my throat when I noticed how heavy his penetrating gaze was on my form. It was like he was trying to know me from the inside and out. My uncle noticed this too and he quickly moved more closer my way, trying to fully block me from the man's view. I quickly decided to stow away my nerves. I wouldn't let them or this man get the better of me. I determinedly stood up from the bed and made my way to stand next to my uncle. I straighten my posture and narrowed my eyes at the suited man.

I suddenly felt goosebumps all over my arms. Which was weird since I was wearing a sweater. I shouldn't have been cold, but I was. I also felt that awful shiver from early come back when I came face to face with him. My stomach tighten in knots. I thought confronting my nerves would make them go away, but they didn't. In fact I think they got worse...all because I got a better view on how he was still _looking_ at me. It was if he knew something I didn't. His smile was way bigger now and his eyes were shining with what I could describe as... _jollity?_ Almost as if he had won a prize or something. Though I had no idea as to why...

Barbara then made her way to join us and was now aside next to me.

The suited man then moved his scrutinizing stare away from me. "I'm Peter. Peter Humboldt." He said introducing himself to Barbara.

 _Peter Humboldt?_

That sounded like a fake name if you asked me...

I kept a steady gaze on him despite my stomach doing nervous flips and the chills he gave me. There was something off about this man... _hmm_.

He still kept that same sneer smile on his pale face. What I noticed with my hard stare, was the freckles he had scattered all over his pointy nose and blemished upper cheeks.

"Heh, lovely to meet you at last. You're even more beautiful than I imagined." He said complimenting Barbara. In which return she just shushed him with a modest smile.

"Nice to meet you, Peter. I never get to meet Jim's friends. He never tells me anything." Barbara said somewhat teasingly towards my uncle. My uncle just gave her tight smile.

The man just chuckled airily. "Men." He joked.

Barbara laughed a little. "Don't I know."

The man then turned to me and gushed. "Well, hello _there_." He cooed with a charming smile. Treating me as if I were a small child. "You must be Jim's _precious_ niece, Winifred." His long pale hand extended towards me.

I took a low deep breath, managing to gain control over my nerves. My face became heavily guarded as I momentarily paused not knowing what to do. I saw how my uncle Jim was giving me stern expression. I was in a rather awkward position. Should I shake this man's hand or flat out refuse it?

I blamed my courteous manners, because there was no way I could be rude to someone...even if they did give me the chills. My mother raised me better than that. So I slowly and somewhat reluctantly took a hold on his hand in mine and shook it.

I steadied my blue eyes onto his unusual ones and nodded my head. "Yes..that's, uh, me." I said sheepishly. I made a move to let go of his hand as quickly as possible but it took a second longer for him to let go. It's like he didn't want to end the hand shake. Thankfully the handshake ended, but I now gave him a full pessimism expression, before I composed myself. _Remember Winifred...don't be rude._ "It's um, nice to meet you... _Peter_." I muttered heedfully, it felt strange calling him by that name...it was like it didn't fit him. So to me he still remained as the eerie man in the suit...

The man's joyful demeanor didn't falter with my curt stare or voice. "It's nice to meet you too, _Winifred_." He tunefully said my name. "You know James here has told me a lot about you."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "He has?" I asked him warily and my blue eyes held disbelief. Somehow what he said didn't seem so true to me. I couldn't explain it, but he made the red alarms in my mind go off like crazy.

"Yes! He talks about you all the time. I've been wanting to meet you for awhile now. You look exactly like your uncle!" Amazement could be heard in his voice. "The resemblance alone is _uncanny_." He said with a wide grin before looking at my uncle Jim real quick. "Oh, James where have you been hiding her? She's absolutely endearing."

Okay, I know that probably was suppose to be a compliment, but I didn't take it like one. I was getting annoyed that he kept talking to me as if I were a child. Which I'm _not_. Gosh, I'm sixteen. Well into my teenage years. So far this man has not made a good impression on me...

I gave him an unamused look, but that only caused him to chuckle more.

"You have the yellowest hair I've ever seen. It's like looking at the sun itself..." He hummed pleased, completely disregarding my scowl. I saw how he was about to touch my long wavy hair and my eyes widen slightly. Okay seriously...that was not _cool_. I didn't feel comfortable with him trying to touch me. I was about to move away or even straight out reprimand him for his actions. When my uncle Jim suddenly gave him a loud pat on his shoulder, stopping his movements towards me. I then saw how the man stumbled in place before letting out a nervous laugh.

"Oh, he's quite the poet...sunshine and everything." My uncle Jim said smiling. But his jaw was clenching oddly. He was definitely not happy with him.

Barbara must have noticed this too, because I saw her stare at my uncle in uncertainty. My uncle just gave her a grim expression, his hand still on the man's shoulder. "Well, could I get you a drink?" She asked the man, once again her hospitality kicking in.

Before the man could eagerly reply back to her. My uncle answered for him. "No, uh...he's a work friend. It's a work thing." He explained rapidly.

"I'm just recently back in Gotham and I had the idea to pop on by. Out of the blue." The man said with a smile but it quickly fell when I saw how my uncle pat him again roughly. "But now is clearly not a good time." He said with a much sober like voice.

"I'll walk you out." My uncle Jim said with a forced smile trying to keep his cool.

I then saw how my uncle literally walked the man out of Barbara's apartment rather forcefully. Before he was out of sight though I saw how he quickly glanced over his shoulder.

"It was lovely to meet you Barbara, especially you _Winifred!_ "

I once again felt those damn shivers, only this time they were all over my body.

When the man and my uncle were finally out of sight, I turned back towards Barbara. We both had bemused expressions. Of course mine held more than bemusement...but still. The two of us knew there was something off about this "Peter Humboldt" guy.

I didn't like how he looked at me. In fact I didn't like how he even talked to me...it made me feel weird. So I was glad he was no longer here...but I had a strange feeling that this wouldn't be the last time I would see _him_.

* * *

As soon as Jim escorted _―_ or actually more liked _dragged_ Oswald out of Barbara's apartment, he immediately with out even waiting another second threw him against the buildings walls right in the back alley. He was not happy that the suited man had come here. Near Barbara and especially near his niece.

The thought alone of this _man_ being close to the people he cared for made Jim feel complete vexation. And when he saw how Oswald was being rather _friendly_ with Winifred...well that was the last damn straw. Especially when he was about to touch his niece's hair. There was no way in hell he was going to let that happen. Just with the staring alone made Jim feel anger. Oswald's staring towards his niece, greatly unnerved him to the core. Why exactly was Oswald so eerie friendly with his niece? He didn't know why, but what he did know was that he wasn't going to let Oswald anywhere near Winifred.

"I told you _never_ to come back here!" Jim yelled in complete outrage. He still had Oswald pinned to the wall, and he kept a fist hold on his suit collar

Oswald, who was trembling in Jim's hold, looked him straight in the eyes. ""I know. I know, I―I apologize. But I just wanted to speak with you." He stammered.

Jim's eyes held complete anger as he shook Oswald's form. "No. If Falcone finds out you're alive, he'll kill us both."

"I got no place else to go." Oswald said in woebegone. "Gotham is my home."

Jim didn't falter his anger, even with how crestfallen Oswald looked. He knew better than to fall for his downhearted act. "I should of killed you. I should put a bullet in your head right now." He said brusquely and reluctantly let him out of the hold he had him in.

Oswald took deep breaths as he saw Jim take several steps back away from him. "And you would have every right to do so. But you won't Jim Gordon!" He counter-responded. "You're a good man. You may very well be the last good man in Gotham. That's why I want to help you."

"I don't want your help." Jim retorted back to him.

"No, no, but you need it." Oswald insisted. "That vile creature, _Fish Mooney_..." He hissed out. "Don Falcone, the police. Not even your own partner trusts you. They will always hide the truth from you. But not me, never." He said giving him a jittery filled chuckle. "You saved my life." His tone of voice held gratefulness.

"God knows I wish I hadn't." Jim admitted to him in hollowness.

Oswald saw a glass bottle on the ground and picked it up. "Kill me now. Or trust me!" He said showing Jim the bottle he had in his hand.

Jim gave him a disdainful look before he ultimately knocked the bottle to the ground, and heard it shatter into pieces. He once again took a few steps away from him, as he tried calming himself down.

"I told you there's a war coming, Jim." Oswald announced catching his interest. The detective turned back towards him. "There will be so many deaths. So many. You wanna save Gotham? Protect those who you love, like say your niece? Well I can help you! I can be your secret agent."

Jim walked over and got right into Oswald's face, not at all happy. "Don't mention my _niece_!" He warned him in a hostile voice. "She isn't apart of this."

Oswald chuckled lowly. "Jim, now you know just as much as I do, that she's a very big part of this. She is after all your _family_. You think the others won't know about that and use it to their advantage? _Hmm_?" He asked him in a patronizing way. "Of course they will. But like I said...I can help."

Jim shook his head. "No, absolutely not."

Oswald sighed in disappointment. "Jim, Jim, Jim _―_ " He called out his name almost in taunt, but stopped when he felt Jim grab a fist full of his collar shirt.

"I said _no_." Jim said threateningly. "You don't go anywhere near my niece, you _understand_?"

Oswald quickly saw the anger in Jim's eyes. "Alright...I understand." He muttered, not really meaning it. Luckily Jim didn't see right through his fib and the detective let him go. Oswald then fixed his suit's collar before he spoke up again, determinedly. "But I still insist that I can be a useful asset for you."

Jim gave him a stony filled expression. "Until Falcone finds out you're alive."

"Nobody looks for a dead man, hmm?" Oswald reassured him with a smirk.

Jim narrowed his eyes at him. "This war, what are you talking about? Why will there be a war?"

Oswald took a second to answer back. He was to transfixed with Jim's eyes. They were the exact same color shade of blue that Winifred had. It pleased him greatly. A smile grew on his face as he thought of Jim's niece. She really did remind him of the detective. Which for Oswald was wonderful! It was like having a mini James Gordon, only in a younger female form. He analyzed Jim's face one more time before speaking up. "Uh, as you know, war is just politics by other means. And isn't politics just money? Talking?" He asked him rhetorically.

"Talking about what?" Jim demanded.

Oswald chuckled darkly. " _Arkham_ , of course."

Screams that were suddenly heard from the dark alley, caught Jim's attention. He turned towards the noise, wanting to see what it was, only to find out it was a group of wily teenagers messing around. When he turned back towards Oswald direction, he was no longer there. He looked towards the streets and noticed a limping figure, before it was suddenly enveloped into the cities fog.

"Damn it..." Jim muttered under his breath.

 _Just great..._

* * *

The silence that once surrounded Barbara's apartment, now filled up my uncle Jim's car. Only there was no hint of awkwardness in here, just tension. Lots and lots of tension...

I wanted to say something because I couldn't stand the silence. Plus there was that nagging question I had in mind. Well in truth I had a lot of questions, but I had one in particular that I really wanted to ask. Which was...

What happened when my uncle "escorted" that Peter guy out of Barbara's apartment?

Because once he came back up, he just told Barbara that he and I needed to leave. We then left in a hurry...and now here we were. Driving back to his place. The drive so far had been quiet. I saw how my uncle's grip on the steering wheel was real tight. So something was bothering him, and he was probably even angry.

When we finally made it back to his place though, that's when I decided to finally speak up.

"Uncle Jim..."

"Please, Winifred." My uncle sighed, aghast. He was sitting on one of the living couches. He looked really tired. "I know you probably have a lot of questions...but it's best if you don't ask."

I was about to retort back, but I stopped when I saw the look he had.

My uncle held a grim, sort of pleading expression. Which meant he was being really serious. Man...whoever this 'Peter' guy was well...he was bad news. So for my uncles sake I just did as he said.

"Alright, uncle Jim..." I said in a low voice.

My uncle gave me a nod my way. "You should probably go to sleep now..."

I let out a yawn. It was then I realized how tired I was. The clock that was hanging on the living room said it was close to 11 o'clock already. Wow...time went by fast. "Okay...well, goodnight uncle Jim." I said softly to him.

My uncle tried to give me a smile, but right away I could tell it was forced.

"Goodnight night, Winifred."

I lingered back a bit before I finally made my way to my bedroom. Once in there I closed the door and quickly changed into my pajamas.

After that I got into my bed, turned off the lights, and closed my eyes. Despite my tiredness, every time I was about to pass out, the eerie smile of that Peter guy invaded my mind.

I huffed, irritated.

This was going to be a long night. I just hoped that his eerie smile would eventually fade away within the next few days...

* * *

 **A few days later**

 _Take me to your best friend's house_  
 _Roll around this roundabout_  
 _Oh yeah_  
 _Take me to your best friend's house_

I woke up to the sound of my phone alarm going off. I groaned when I heard the song, _Tongue tied by Grouplove_ fill up my ears. Don't get me wrong I love that band and song, but not in the morning. To be fair, I didn't like a lot of things in the morning. Like I said before, I'm not a morning person. Not at all. I never want to get out of bed, but I especially didn't want to get up today...

You see it was Monday already. Which only meant one thing... _school._

 _I'll get real high_  
 _Slumber party; pillow fight_  
 _My eyes and your eyes_  
 _Like Peter Pan up in the sky_

I sighed into my pillows knowing it was pointless to go back to sleep. I lazily reached for my phone that was still blasting the music from where it was charging on my night stand. When I couldn't get a good hold on it, I became frustrated. I decided then to sit up. I threw off my blankets that were keeping me warm. _Damn mornings._ I now sat on the side edge of my bed and I gladly got a hold of my phone. I quickly unlocked it to stop playing the music. Just as soon as the music stopped, I heard a knock coming from my bedroom door.

"It's open!" I called out, already knowing who was knocking.

My uncle's head popped in. He looked much more at ease now, then from a few days ago. He even had an amused smile on right. Not that I blame him. I must have looked ridiculous. Then again I always looked funny in the mornings. My hair was always wavier than usual, making it wild and tangled. Also, I was wearing Star War pajamas. Which didn't exactly help with how silly I looked. But what can I say? I loved Star Wars. My bed head though...well that was another story.

"Just checking to see if you were awake." My uncle said to me.

I laughed a little. "Didn't you hear my phone alarm go off?"

It was his turn to laugh now. "Yeah...but from what I'd come to know is that you hate mornings and you're a heavy sleeper."

Hmm. He was observant. "Yeah...you got me there. But I managed to wake myself up. I mean, I know I can't skip this day. Unless...well is there a way for me to? Can't you just call in and say I'm sick."

"No, Winnie that would be lying." My uncle said to me with a frown before he came into my room. He took a seat next to me. "Look, I'm sure you'll be fine. There's no reason to be nervous."

"Easy for you to say...you're not the one who's starting at a new high-school." I muttered looking towards the ground.

"True..." My uncle sighed. "But I do remember what high-school was like..."

"You do?" I asked looking back at him with wide eyes.

"Hey, I'm not that old." He said with a fake-hurt look before he cracked a smile. "But yes...I do. Your mother and I went to school together."

"Yeah...so at least you already knew someone." I said pointing out the obvious. "I don't..."

"Just be your normal bubbly self." My uncle told me.

I smiled at him, his words affecting me. "My mother use to say that to me whenever I would get nervous. She thought it would give me courage."

"I know." My uncle said with a soft smile. "Is it working?"

"No..." I mumbled and then a few seconds later I huffed. "Okay, maybe a little."

"Good, now go get ready. I'm giving you a ride to school. I might not be able to pick up after classes are over. So, Barbara will." My uncle told me this as he made his way out my door. "Hurry up, I already made breakfast."

I watched as he closed the door behind him and then I fell backwards on my bed.

"Well...I hope today will be memorable." I muttered to myself. I then got up, since I needed to get ready for... _school._

* * *

When my uncle said he made breakfast, I was completely curious to see what he had prepared. I mean, my uncle was no prime chef. I honestly have no idea how he's even been managing so long with out actual home cooked meals before I came to live with him. Don't get me wrong I love take out food, but eating out everyday isn't healthy for you. So since moving in with my uncle, I have been trying to straighten out his meals. I have cooking skills since my mom and I use to cook all the time. So it became a morning routine for me to make breakfast for my uncle and I. We would eat together before he had to leave for work.

But I guess he wanted to do something special for my first day of school at Gotham High. Which I appreciated, it was a nice gesture, and I gotta say...breakfast wasn't half bad. He made scrambled eggs, bacon, and French toast. I was left with a smile on my face. Perhaps my cooking skills were rubbing off on him.

Anyways after we peacefully finished eating our breakfast together, my uncle then proceed to drive me to school.

Which was where we were at right now.

Well technically I was still inside his car...

My uncle was in the drivers seat, while I was in the passenger seat playing with my jackets sleeve. I found my clothing to be an excuse for not getting out of the car. Well it also could been because I was still feeling nervous. But I pushed that feeling to the side. Except my self-consciousness for the outfit I had on was getting the better of me. Which I shouldn't even be worrying over as something as little as that. I mean I was a wearing a outfit that I would usually wear back in Boston. My outfit today, consisted of me wearing my burgundy jacket, a floral dress, with grey tights, along with my bow-tied flats, and lastly I topped my outfit with a blue beanie. So all in all this my typical everyday school type of outfit. Nothing out of the ordinary.

As I thought about my old school, I began feeling a little sad and homesick. I missed my friends...if I were still over there I probably would of been outside in the quad. That was where we would all hang out in a huge group. But where was I supposed to hang out here? I knew no one here. With a small sigh I looked towards the school, and my eyes widen. It was huge. Way bigger than my old school back in Boston. It was three stories or so and the building looked like a typical high school you would see in 90's movies.

 _Great..._

There was no doubt I was probably going to get lost.

"You got your schedule?" My uncle asked, startling me out of my daze from staring at the school.

"Uh, yeah, I do." I said pulling out my class schedule from my backpack. I had reviewed it when my uncle enrolled me to the school. The office also gave me a map, which I was probably going to use. A lot. I gave the schedule a quick read. "I have Biology first." I informed my uncle as I folded the paper in half in my hand. It was then that I heard the school bell ring, making my stomach do another nervous churn.

"Guess that's your cue to go." My uncle said with a small smile.

"Yup..." I said nonchalantly, not at all making a move to get out.

"Winnie..." My uncle said using his childish nickname on me. "You'll be okay." He said in a encouraging tone of voice. His blue eyes looked into mine and he gave me a gentle, comforting pat on my shoulder signaling me to go.

I sighed, defeated but also because he needed to go to work, and I didn't want to make him late. I took a deep breath before I got out of my uncle's car. I then walked over towards the other side, near the high school entrance. There was no sign of the other students, which meant they probably were all inside already.

"Remember Barbara is picking you up." My uncle told me, as he rolled down his driver window.

"You know I could just take the bus right?" I suggested shrugging my shoulders. I honestly had no problem taking the bus. It was something I would do whenever my mother wasn't able to pick me up from school.

My uncle though quickly shook his head when he heard this.

"No, I don't feel comfortable with you taking the bus."

I gave him a deadpanned expression.

"Well I'm going to have to eventually."

"Yeah, eventually...maybe." He said whispering the last part.

I still heard him.

"What?"

"Nothing." My uncle said dismissing it. "Have a nice day at school. I'll see you later." He told me adding a smile before he began driving away. I saw how he gave me a quick wave. I returned it and watched as his car got smaller and smaller from the school. I sighed and then looked towards the school again...

Well...here goes nothing. I thought to myself as I made my way towards the entrance of the school.

The first thing I noticed right away when I stepped inside the building was how much bigger it was. If I thought the outside was big, well the inside was a whole other story. The hallways were wide, there was several stair cases leading up the other floors as well. To the right and left side were the school lockers. The walls were decorated with school flyers, posters, and announcements. It was typical school stuff.

My school back in Boston had school events decorations as well. I could hear chatter going on in the halls from the students who were walking with their friends to class. I saw a few of them hanging out by the lockers. They were also talking with people, while others were opening or closing their lockers. Everything so far was going alright. Well...that was until the front entrance door I had came in through, shut closed. Creating a loud echoing _bang!_ I cringed when the noise caught the attention of the students that remained in the hallway. I cringed even more when eyes landed onto me.

I could tell they were scrutinizing me. It was like they knew immediately that I was new. Damn. Oh well...I tried brushing off their intent staring and offered everyone a smile, but only got me weird looks. Great...now they probably thought I was too friendly. I felt a blush form on my cheeks from momentary embarrassment. I quickly tried playing it off by unfolding my class schedule.

Okay...just focus on finding out where my first class is at. I narrowed my eyes and read the paper again thoroughly, not at all paying attention to where I was going.

Alright my first class in is room _―_

 _"Uff_ _―"_

Out of nowhere, I suddenly crashed into something _―_ or should I say _someone._ The abrupt impact caught me so off guard that I lost my balance. My dress covered bottom landed on the cold floor hard, making a loud _thud_ noise. My backpack along my class schedule landed on the ground as well.

I distinctly heard laughs and giggles coming from the other students who witnessed the event. I tried once again holding in my blush, but it was no use. The damage was already done. To the other students it must of been an amusing scene to have witnessed. Great...now they must think I'm a huge klutz. What a great impression I've made so far.

"I'm...I'm so _sorry_."

A shy timid voice caught my attention. I slowly let my eyes wander up to the person I had accidentally bumped into. My eyes locked and connected with a boy who looked to be my age. He had long shaggy chocolate brown hair. His eyes were a crystal blue color. They were soothing, but much like his voice they held a hint of apprehensiveness. He was somewhat scrawny and tall. I think he was about the same height as me. I saw that he was wearing a pair of old style jeans, a checkers grey flannel, and a black jacket that fit him a size to big. In adoring way he kind of reminded me of a scarecrow. It fit him though. During my observation on him, I kept hearing him muttering out apologies.

"Don't worry about it I'm fine." I told him reassuringly.

The shaggy haired boy still looked apologetic.

"No, I shouldn't have bumped into you. God, I'm so _―"_

"Hey, _woah_ , it's okay." I said interrupting his rambling. "It was an accident. Besides, I should have watched where I was going." I gave him a warm smile, letting him know I wasn't mad. He looked a little bit relieved after that. I was then about to get up from the floor when the boy surprised me. He swiftly picked up my backpack and schedule from the floor before he shyly offered me his hand.

I felt bashful, but I gladly accepted his hand. I took notice that his hand in mine was warm and soft.

"Thanks..." I told shim with a small blush on my cheeks. This time it wasn't because I was embarrassed from my fall. After I got up from the floor, he let go of my hand and then handed me my backpack and class schedule.

"So, you're new?" He asked me softly.

I had to smile at his bashfulness.

"Yeah, I am. What made me stand out?" I asked rather serious.

This time it was the boys turn to smile. It was small but I still counted it as one.

"Well you're carrying around your class schedule. Nobody does that unless they're new..."

Duh...of course! "Right!" I said sheepishly and gave him a coy like smile. "I knew that." I giggled a little. There was a moment of silence, that had the two of us just standing there with each other. It wasn't awkward or anything. It was actually kind of peaceful.

I saw how the boy shook his head as if he forgot something. "I'm sorry...you're new here and you don't even know my name." He shyly took out his hand again. "My name's Jonathan..." He stuttered a bit.

I gave him a friendly smile, accepting his hand. "Pleasure to meet you Jonathan, I'm Winifred. Winifred Gordon." I introduced myself to him, as I shook his hand.

"That's um, a interesting name." He muttered before his blue eyes widen. "Not interesting as in bad! I meant it in a good way! It's a very pretty name..." He blushed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude or creepy..."

I smiled yet again at his cute rambles. "You didn't sound creepy or rude. I think you just complimented me. So...thanks."

Jonathan looked relieved after that and moved his gaze to where I was holding my schedule.

"Do you, um, need help finding your class?"

"Oh, yes, please! I'm actually trying to find my Biology class." I told him as I read my schedule again, this time out loud. "It's room 141, with Mr. Crane."

When I looked back up towards Jonathan I saw how his once small smile had faltered. "Oh...I know where that's at. I'm actually heading there as well."

"Oh, well that's great! We can walk there together then." I told him with a happy tone.

"Yeah..." He whispered half-heartily. "Come on, the classroom is this way."

I followed him as we were walking through the hallways, side to side.

"So where did you move from?" He asked me, striking conversation as we continued walking together.

"Boston, I just moved in with my uncle."

"Oh..." Jonathan looked slightly distressed. "So, no..." He didn't need to finish that sentence because I knew what he was asking me.

"Um, well...it's kind of complicated." I said in a vague voice. I really didn't want him to know about my sad life. I mean I just met the boy, I didn't want to depress him with my life story already.

To my surprise, Jonathan just gave me a look of understanding. "Don't worry...I get it. Your family is a touchy subject. So is mine." He admitted to me before giving me a side glance looking before moving his blue eyes forward. "It's just me and my dad and um... he's the bio teacher here." He told me in almost whisper.

So he only had his dad in his life? Poor boy. I only had my uncle Jim, and my mom in my life...well did...or still do. She just wasn't with me at the moment. When Jonathan mentioned his dad was the bio teacher here my ears perked up.

"Really?" I asked him with raised brows. "Well that must be awesome to have your dad be a teacher here." I said trying to be optimistic.

Jonathan huffed lightly. "You would think..."

I frowned slightly at the tone of his voice. What did he mean by that? After he said that, silence fell between the two of us as we were still walking down the halls. This time it was less pleasant. I also kept noticing how down and sad Jonathan looked. I never liked seeing people sad. I wanted more than anything to replace that broken down expression he had on.

"I like to draw." I blurted out randomly ending the silence.

Jonathan gave me a bemused expression. "What?"

"I said I like to draw. It makes me happy. What about you? You got any hobbies?" I asked him.

Jonathan shook his head sadly.

"Oh, come on! There isn't anything that catches your interest?"

Jonathan's face lit up in the slightest way. "I find psychology interesting. You know the human mind..."

"So you're a mind over matter type of guy?" I asked with a teasing smile.

To my relief he returned the smile back. "Yeah, I guess so..."

"Well that's cool! Maybe someday, I'll be able to call you Dr. Crane." I jested with gleeful eyes.

Jonathan shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe..."

The two of us came to a sudden stop when we reached the classroom, 141. Jonathan opened the door for me and I was about to walk in, but before I could he stopped me gently.

"I just want to say sorry beforehand...about my dad." Jonathan told me with a apologetic tone and expression. He then without another word walk into the classroom, he held the door open for me though. But as I walked in I still felt confused by his cryptic warning. Why did he say that to me or better yet, what did he mean by he was "sorry" about his dad?

* * *

It wasn't until when Biology was finally over that I understood by what Jonathan meant with apologizing on behalf of his dad.

You see I've come to realization that Jonathan's dad well...okay I'm going to be painfully honest here. Jonathan's dad freaked me the hell out. The moment I met him, I had gotten chills, just like with that Peter guy. Only with Mr. Crane...well, it was double what I had felt from Peter's presence. I mean every time the bio teacher made eye contact with one of the students, (including me) it was like he was over analyzing them, almost like he was staring right into their very souls. No joke, I felt like I was the lab rat and he was the evil scientist. I know...that's a very rude way thinking towards a person. Heaven knows my mother would have not appreciated my judgment, but I couldn't help it. I got really bad vibes from him...which really kind of shocked me. I mean Jonathan in comparison to his father, was nothing like him. Jonathan was the complete opposite. He was sweet, shy, and timid. How in the world was this man his father? I sometimes questioned the world.

Anyways, I had tried catching up with Jonathan as soon as class was over but he left in such a hurry. I think he probably thought I didn't want to be friends with him anymore, after I saw how his father was. But that was not the case with me. In fact I still very much wanted to be his friend. So far he had been the only one out of this whole to school to have actually talked and helped me out. Everyone else kind have ignored me or just plain out laughed whenever they saw me. I guess they still had that embarrassing image of me falling on my rear in their minds.

 _Fantastic..._

Despite their ridicule towards me, I still wanted to be seen as a friendly person. So their behavior towards me didn't stop me from being polite. Although...my manners probably weren't doing so much for me either. I was still being openly ignored. Like right now for example...

It was already lunch time. I had already went through four of my classes. They were alright. So far I had enjoyed my English class the most. Math was eh...as always. History was interesting and Biology...well you know how that went. I still had my elective class which was art and my Spanish 2 class. I already wanted classes to begin though. I was feeling rather lonely right now.

I was by myself at one of the lunch tables outside. It was cold, but I was already use to the weather. Not to mention I had my burgundy jacket on. I had tried looking for Jonathan earlier to eat lunch with him, but much to my misfortune I couldn't locate him anymore. I sighed, swirling around my plastic fork through the mash potatoes that were on my lunch tray. I wasn't that much hungry anyways...

I decided to pass my loneliness by listening to my iPod. Since music always helped distract me. I took out my iPod from my backpack and put on my earphones. I put on shuffle and the song, _Out of my league by Fitz and the Tantrums,_ began to play. I was getting into the song, with me lowly singing along with the lyrics. I had always enjoyed indie music. Singing as well. Half way through the song though, I noticed a huge crowd of people run towards the middle of the lunch area.

I furrowed my eyebrows, confused.

What was going on? Big, large, crowds usually meant something huge was happening.

I took off my earphones and turned off my iPod, putting it back into my backpack. I hurriedly got up from the lunch table I was sitting at and made my way to where the large crowd was at. As soon as I got close enough, I began hearing the other students chant and laugh out loud.

 _What was going on?_

Thanks to my height I was able to see what was happening. I peered over the students heads and I came into view with an upper class men kicking a younger a boy. I felt my body freeze when I saw who that boy was. It was Jonathan...

He was on the ground laying on his flat belly, with his arms curled around his head to protect to himself from the kicks he was receiving. Almost immediately my once frozen body, began feeling anger from within.

How dare this over grown _Sasquatch_ beat up Jonathan?

I glanced around the lunch area, hoping to see a teacher or faculty staff member. Of course there wasn't one in sight.

 _Oh my God!_

Where were the teachers when you needed them?!

I heard the cheering from the other students get louder, as the grown bully kicked Jonathan in stomach harder.

That's when I began seeing red.

I _hated_ bullies, with a passion. Now normally I'm not one for violence...but if you're in a situation were you have to fight back to defend yourself, then that's understandable. I know that I wasn't the one getting beat up...but it was Jonathan...the boy who had helped me out. The only boy who had helped me out today, and now here he was getting bullied? Seeing him get hurt made me feel rage. Which I guess that's why I did what I did...to stop the beating that was being inflicted on Jonathan.

Since there was no teachers around to put a stop to this I took matters into my own hands.

I looked around the lunch area, hoping to see something that I could use as to stop the fight. My eyes landed on a forgotten lunch tray that was on a empty table. The tray still had a slice of pie on it and without even seconding thinking it I quickly grabbed the pie. I then with all my strength threw the pie and watched in satisfaction as it hit the bully right in the face.

 _Splat!_

The whole lunch room went silent. Everyone either got quiet or their faces turned red from wanting to laugh. I wouldn't blame them. I mean throwing a piece of pie onto someone's face...well its pretty random. But I had to do it.

The bully that had been kicking Jonathan, stopped with his beating, and I saw how his face twisted in disbelief and anger.

He looked up towards the crowd, fury set in his eyes.

"Who _threw_ that?" He hissed.

There was complete silence as everyone's eyes slowly landed onto me.

I gulped but decided to man up.

"I did." I spoke up with a hard voice.

The bully's eyes zeroed in on me, his face held a scornful expression. "Just who in the hell do you think you are?"

His tone of voice didn't affect me in the slightest. I wasn't going to let it.

"Me?" I scoffed. "Who do you think you are, huh? Beating up someone?" I retorted back to him.

The bully crackled. "Yeah so? He's a _freak."_ He said pointing at Jonathan who was panting on the ground recovering from the beating he had gotten.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I shook my head in anger.

"Not only are you a bully, but you're dimwitted and a _Neanderthal_. What? You got nothing else to do in your pathetic life than to just pick on someone in order to make yourself feel better?"

I saw how he was shaking in anger and he was about to make his way towards me, when one of his 'friends' held him back.

" _Woah_ , man, hold on a second."

He then whispered something into the bully's ears and I saw how his eyes widen. He looked over at me, his face still in anger and now irritation.

"You're damn lucky you're a girl..." He growled at me before he stomped away from the crowd. His posse following right behind him. After they left everyone else started to leave as well. Many of them gave me and Jonathan pitiful looks, almost as if they were sorry for us. I ignored them. Once they were all gone, I glanced down towards Jonathan and offered him my hand.

"Hey, you okay?"

I know stupid question...but I had to ask him.

"You shouldn't have done that..." Jonathan whispered lowly, completely ignoring my hand.

After a while of him not accepting it, I slowly lowered it. I then let out a small frown.

"Why not? You were getting hurt. I was only trying to help you."

"That's just it! By helping me you're not helping yourself."

I felt bemusement. "What?" What did he mean by that? I shook my head and focused back on the situation that was happening. "Jonathan...come on let's just get you to the nurses office."

"No, thanks I'm fine." He said brushing off my concern.

"Jonathan, you're hurt...you need help." I gave him a perturbed expression. "Or if you want to tell a teacher or your dad _―_ "

"No!" Jonathan yelled in panic, as he now stood up from the ground. He looked completely anxious. "No...you can't tell anyone. Not even my dad."

"But, Jonathan _―_ "

"Winifred...please, just don't." He pleaded with me, his blue crystal eyes onto my own pair.

I sighed, aghast. "Fine...then at least let _me_ help you."

Jonathan shook his head. "No."

I frowned. "No? What do you mean no?"

"I said no, Winifred." Jonathan said looking towards the ground.

My eyes soften looking at his distressed state. "Jonathan..."

"No!" Jonathan half yelled. "Just leave me alone..." He said to me before walking off into the school. I was left with an empty feeling inside me. Why wouldn't Jonathan let me help him?

* * *

I didn't end up seeing Jonathan after the whole 'lunch' incident. Which disappointed me. The rest of my school day went by fast. With a few whispers and stares from the other students thrown my way.

After school ended, much like my uncle Jim had said to me, Barbara had been there to pick me up. I thought she was going to drive us back to her place or my uncle's, but no, I was now at the G.C.P.D. She had driven us back here saying that she needed to discuss an important matter with my uncle. Judging by the grim tone she had while telling me this, gave me a troubled feeling inside. What exactly was the important matter she needed to discuss with him?

My inner voice told me that it had something to do with that Peter Humboldt guy. Honestly in my opinion he seemed like a sketchy guy. His smile kept giving me unwanted shivers and so did his lingering stares. Not to mention his friendly behavior towards me unnerved me immensely. He acted as if we were already friends. Which were _weren't_. I've never seen him before in my life up until a few days ago. But he said he was an old friend of my uncle and that he talked to him about me.

That seemed iffy, since I remembered how my uncle's face had been when he saw this Peter guy stand outside Barbara's door. His expression showed shock and I even saw anger. Which has me wondering if "Peter" was even his real name...

I personally didn't think so. And I wanted more than anything to ask my uncle who he really was. But my uncle was a pro at dodging that question.

It kind of reminded me of how my mom would act whenever I asked her about my father. Because as soon as I brought up the "who's my father" topic, she'd either changed the subject or completely avoid it all together. I guess she and my uncle are alike in that way. So of course my uncle was very secretive about this 'Peter' guy. He didn't even mention him to me anymore...

Which of course only spiked up my curiosity even more...

But something told me deep down inside me to not bother my uncle with my questioning this time. Maybe it was better for me to know as little as possible about this "Peter Humboldt."

Except the same thing couldn't be said about Barbara.

I was currently sitting in the chair that belonged to my uncle Jim.

His desk was a wooden dark brown color. It held several items on it, like stacks of papers. No doubt probably from the case he was currently working on. There was also a fancy looking desk lamp he probably used when he worked past day time. Since my uncle had a tendency to work late. What really caught my attention and made me smile was the photos he had on his desk.

One of them was of him and my mother from what I assumed was during their early teen years. My uncle had a hand over my mother shoulders, bringing her into a side hug. While my mother leaned into the embrace and smiled that beautiful smile of hers. It was nice looking at such a reminiscing photo of my uncle and mother.

I knew from what my mother had told me, that she and my uncle were close when they were young. They only really had each other to rely on. Since my grandparents, aka their parents died when they were young. Car accident involving a drunk driver, if I remembered correctly. It was a tragic loss, but my mother and uncle still had each other.

Unfortunately...due to recent events involving my mother's mental health...well that might have put a strain on their sibling bond. Of course I knew that my uncle stilled loved my mother dearly, but I think his guilt for not being there to help her consumed him.

You see my uncle's the type of guy that suffered in silence. Sure he can be open at times, but when it involved deep hearted issues he mostly kept it to himself. Especially when it involved family issues. I think that's why he didn't like to talk about my mother to Barbara because it made him feel despair towards her recovery. I think the only reason he felt comfortable enough to talk to me about my mother, was because well...I was his family. I mean, was there any other reason to be needed?

Now the second photo my uncle had on his desk was of me. It was kinda like the one he had in his apartment, but unlike that photo this one was less embarrassing. _Thank God!_ I was five years old in the photo. I was wearing a striped colorful sweater and a matching beanie on for head wear. I remembered that was one of my first beanies that my mother gave me. I used to love it so much that I wore to school everyday. Which really was a normal thing to do, since all the kids wore beanies in Boston. Especially during the month of December, when it snowed and the weather was freezing cold.

Anyways like I said, I adored that beanie. I also recalled many of my classmates awing over it. I wished I still had it though. Unfortunately over the years of using the beanie repeatedly, it had gotten lost one day. My mother in return just knitted me a red scarf. And I actually ended up liking that red scarf ten times more because it was made by her. And I still had the scarf. Which reminded me that I should wear it tomorrow for school.

 _Oh...school._

I had wanted my first day to be a memorable one. Which in a way, I guess it was. Just not the way I wanted it to be. I wanted to go there with an optimistic attitude and end the day with new friends. But sadly my first day effort didn't do go well. Everything came out in the opposite way I had wanted. I basically made myself an outsider and made enemies with an ape of a bully. _Great_. And the one boy I stood up for and wanted to befriend, clearly had no interest in being friends with me. I wondered why that was?

Jonathan Crane, who although was timid and shy, still held a kind nature about himself. So what if he was considered an outcast and freak by the other students? I didn't care what they said about him. To me he seemed perfectly fine. I think the other students just gave him a hard time because his dad was the Biology teacher. And even though his dad kind freaked me out a bit, that didn't mean he was like him. Jonathan had been nice to me. Of course his shy friendly nature closed off once I saw the bullying. But I only did what was right and stood up for him. I guess me helping him must of damaged his self esteem or something. Still I was only trying to do the right thing by helping him out.

So I made a promise to myself, that the next time I saw him I would continue on trying to befriend him. His social status at the school didn't matter to me. And frankly I didn't care if being his friend made me an outsider as well. I think he needed a friend just as much as I did. Besides, it was plainly obvious that the shaggy brown haired boy had caught my immediate interest. There was just something about him that made me want to get to know him more...

"Hello, Winifred!"

A sudden chirpy voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked up from my uncle's desk only to see the forensic scientist Edward Nygma standing right before me. A smile appeared on my face. I noticed how this time he was wearing a grey lab coat over his clothes. My smile grew...he really did look like a scientist.

"Hey, Ed."

"How are you? It's been a while since I've last seen you here at the station." Ed asked me, adjusting his nifty glasses a bit.

"I've been fine." I said shrugging my shoulders. "How about you? Anything interesting happen to you lately?"

His dark eyes behind his glasses gleamed up in excitement.

"Oh, my dear, Winifred yes! In fact today I found a para―" Ed started in eagerness but then stopped and frowned slightly.

My eyebrows furrowed when I saw his playful demeanor falter. "What? Do you mean paradox?" I asked finishing his sentence.

Ed looked a little surprised by my response. "Uh, yes! But...you probably don't want to hear about this." He told me in bashfulness.

"Why's that?" I asked in bewilderment.

"Because not many people find what I have say to be interesting..." Ed muttered in chagrin.

Now it was my turn to frown. Poor guy...he probably had all this stored up knowledge in his mind and every-time he wanted to share it with people, they must have either ignored or criticized him deeply.

Well I wasn't going to be like that.

"Believe me, I'm interested." I told him in reassurance. "So you were saying, a paradox?"

Ed looked perplexed for a bit before a genuine smile appeared on his lips.

"Yes! Well, uh, the paradox I found in a recent case was that both victims suffered punctured wounds to the skull via the eye socket." He explained to me in animation. "The weapon used was some kind of metal spike." His brown eyes wriggled with elation. "Which is highly an unlikely coincidence, right?"

"So what you're saying is both of these victims were killed by the same weapon used by the same person." I said to him as I tilted my head to the side.

"Yes!" Ed said practically bouncing in place.

I straighten my posture once more. "You figured that out on your own?" I asked him with a proud smile. "Wow, that's impressive. You're one hake of a forensic scientist. I wished I had the skills to figure out crime scenes like that."

I saw Ed's smile deepen and I even caught a glimpse of dimples.

"Oh, well it was simple, really. All I had to do was basic procedures and such." He said trying to play it off.

"Still, it takes a lot skills and brains to do what you do." I said with a smile.

His smile became bashful with the compliments I kept giving him. Which in my opinion, I think were well deserved. Seriously, I mean he was the G.C.P.D. forensic scientist. He did a lot for the station and I had a sad feeling he didn't get much credit for helping solve murder cases and such.

"Oh, well thank you Winifred." Ed muttered, he then became his high-spirited self again. "So...why the visit to the station?"

"I'm just waiting for my uncle Jim." I told him before my gaze went back to where my uncle and Barbara were talking. They were on the second floor, standing in the middle of the G.C.P.D. balcony. Only their discussion looked to be much more somber.

Ed followed my gaze and he sighed. "Looks rather serious."

"Yeah, that's my uncle Jim's fiancee, Barbara." I explained to him.

"Oh, dear. So a lovers quarrel?" Ed asked me skittishly.

I sighed, aghast. "I sure hope not..." And I meant that...I was just starting to like Barbara a lot. It would of sucked if the only woman figure I had in my life left.

Ed noticed my frown. "I'm sure they'll work things out..." He told me. I think he was trying to make me feel better. I gave him a small smile, appreciating his kind words.

There was a moment of silence before he spoke up again. His voice more upbeat.

"So are you modifying to the city well enough?"

"Yeah, I think so. I'm getting use to living here and all. Adjusting and _stuff_..." My voice held assertiveness, of which he caught on quickly. He gave me a look that said _"hmm, sure."_ I could tell Ed wasn't going to let this go. Huffing I leaned more against my uncle's chair. "Um, I started school today...didn't exactly go the way I wanted it to."

"What happened?" He asked, curious.

"Well, I tried to be optimistic and that backfired, tried to be friendly and that backfired, and lets see...oh yeah stood up for someone and that backfired, enormously. So overall...it was a backfiring type of day."

"Yes, the use of the word backfired in your sentence repeatedly proves that." He said trying to make me smile. Darn him, cause it worked. I let a small smile grace my facial features, of which he returned. His smile then dropped a little. "It saddens me to hear you had a execrable first day. I do hope things get better for you."

"Thanks Ed." Gosh, he really was a nice guy. If only he were my age...we probably would have been best friends or something. I sighed. "I just wished I made one friend today, you know?"

There was sudden ebullient expression on Ed's face.

"What costs nothing, but is worth everything, weighs nothing, but can last a lifetime, that one person can't own, but two or more can share?"

 _Ah_ , I felt happiness enter my system when I heard his riddle. I stared deeply into his brown eyes and smiled, lighthearted.

"Friendship." I softly replied back to him.

Ed nodded his head. "Yes, friendship." His voice held a cordial tone. "Winifred, I may be an adult, but I do know what it's like to have issues in school. I wasn't much of a socially active type of person during my adolescent years in high school. I think it had to do with my introvert nature and liking towards abnormal things." He gave me a little chuckle and did a _"oh well"_ gesture with his hands. "My point is that I want you to know that I'm your friend. Just like I'd like to think that you're my friend too."

Oh, _Ed_. I was touched. Really...I was.

"I appreciate that Ed, and of course you're my friend!"

Ed let out a relieved breath. "Oh good, because I enjoy interacting with you. You're the only one who gives my riddles the time of day."

"What about my uncle Jim?" I asked him tilting my head.

"Yes well Detective Gordon does answer my riddles from time to time, but I like it better when you answer them." Ed told me enthusiastically.

"Well whenever you want to ask me a riddle, know that I'm all ears." I said with a welcoming smile.

"Fantastic!" Ed beamed in joy.

I giggled watching his zealous behavior. I've never met someone like him before in my life. Someone who was quirky and sanguine. I thought when I first met him he would be rather serious. This was Gotham after all and everyone I've met so far, who worked in the police business seemed solemn. Except for Ed. It was like he was in his own little world. It made me glad to know that not all of the grown ups in Gotham were dour.

Speaking of dour like adults...

The upcoming footsteps caught my attention. My gaze switch from Ed's onto Barbara's who was now making her way out of the G.C.P.D. station. She caught my distraught stare and she in return gave me a overwrought apologetic expression. After that... she walked out.

I moved my gaze back towards my uncle and saw how heavy-hearted he looked. Which lead me to the conclusion that something must have happened between them...

"Oh dear..." Ed muttered under his breath. He looked over towards me and noticed how upset I was. "I'm sure it's nothing, Winifred..." He said trying to console me.

Once again I appreciated his reassurance, but even I knew that whatever happened between my uncle and Barbara wasn't just "nothing." I just hoped they didn't break up or anything. Like I said, I was just starting to really like Barbara.

"Yeah...sure." I muttered to him.

He gave me what appeared to be a sad smile before patting my head gently. Unlike with that Peter guy, who tried to touch me, I didn't mind Ed's touch. Yeah sure it was an odd gesture, but I strangely liked it. After a few second or so he stopped patting my head. "I have to get back to work now...but it was nice chatting with you." Ed said giving me a gleeful expression. "Remember Winifred, know that I'm here if you ever need a friend."

After that I watched as he took joyful steps towards to what I assumed was his office. I felt a little bit better knowing that at least I had managed to make a friend in Gotham today. Granted it wasn't a school friend, but still I gladly accepted Ed's friendship. Once I saw his tall thin form disappear completely, I turned back towards my uncle.

I saw how his facial features still held desolateness. He must have felt my gaze because he moved his eyes towards where I was at. His blue eyes connect with mine and I saw how he tried to look less dejected by trying to give me a small comforting smile, but I saw right through it. The truth was he looked heartbroken.

I personally don't really know how to comfort people who suffer through a breakup or a small 'break' as people like to call them. My mother never dated when I was living with her. So I never saw how a full functioning relationship played out. Sadly, the only experience I have with romance and dating is what I've seen on TV and read in novels. The embarrassing truth was that I was terribly inexperienced. I haven't even had my first kiss yet. But like I told Barbara before, the reason to this was because none of the boys at my old school caught my interest. There was also the fact that I was taking care of my mother during her... _illness._

Though I'd liked to reason as well that maybe my lack of interest was because I hadn't found the right guy yet.

Except seeing the broken hearted expressions that both my uncle and Barbara had made me wonder...

Would I really want to experience that emotional heart breaking pain myself?

I shouldn't even be worrying about my so called 'love' life. I mean it was pretty much nonexistent, so I had nothing to fret over about. I only wished the best for those who were suffering because of love.

Little did I know, I was soon going to be like those poor unfortunate love sick fools.

All thanks to a certain red haired boy...


	6. Chapter 6: Blondie or Nancy Drew?

**_Disclaimer:_ **_I do not own Gotham or any of the characters. I only own my OC._

 ***Edited 1/28/17***

* * *

 _"When someone gives you a nickname, it means you're special to that person."_ ― _Reader's Digest_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 6: Blondie or Nancy Drew?**_

When my uncle Jim had asked me how my first day of school went, I lied and told him it went fine. I mean, there was no way I was going to tell him the truth about how I felt like a complete outsider. I also didn't want to mention the whole "bully" incident involving the over sized neanderthal of a classmate I had and sweet shy reserved Jonathan. Knowing my uncle, he probably just would have gone to the school to confront this issue. Which is definitely something I did not want happening for two main reasons.

The first reason was because I didn't want to cause anymore issues for Jonathan. Because If my uncle went to the school and reported this, then Jonathan would have probably disliked me for that. And I really didn't want him disliking me since I wanted to be on his good side, so we could be friends.

The second reason being was that I really didn't want to bother my uncle with my school problems. Why stress him out with my school drama? He already has his plate full with his own problems. Like his job and now his relationship with Barbara as well. So because of that, I didn't want him fretting over me. So why put more onto his pile? Seemed like a selfish thing to do, if you asked me. Besides, I wanted to handle this issue on my own and I also wanted to be the person who he could relieve his problems to. Except knowing my uncle, he probably wouldn't want to discuss his job and much less about the "argument" he had with Barbara at the G.C.P.D. station.

Which I guess that's why I did what I did once we had arrived back to my uncle's apartment.

I waited until I was in my bedroom and shut my door before I took out my cell phone. I was lying on my bed and staring at my ceiling, dialing Barbara's number, as I waited for her to pickup my call.

It was after the fourth ring that she had finally answered.

 _"Hello?"_

"Hi...Barbara. It's uh me...Winifred."

I heard Barbara let out a soft laugh.

 _"Yes, I know it's you Winifred. Caller I.D."_

"Right! Duh, of course!" I yelled out. _Way to be an idiot, Winifred..._ I thought to myself shaking my head.

 _"Is there something you need?"_

She asked me and I took a second to gather my thoughts.

"Umm, yes, actually there's something I need to know."

I heard Barbara let out an aghast sigh, probably already knowing what I was going to ask.

 _"Winifred—"_

"Please Barbara, I just need to know...why...why did you and my uncle Jim get into an argument?"

Barbara was silent on the other line but I could hear her breathing. She must have been contemplating on what to say to me. It took her a few seconds before she replied back to me.

 _"Look Winifred, that's a very complicated answer to a very complicated question."_

I was still too headstrong to know. "Is it because of his job? Did something else happen? Is it bad? I mean, whatever it is I'm sure you two can work things out, right?" I asked her, question after question.

 _"I...I don't know."_ Barbara said, her voice sounded dejected.

I sighed, not liking her answer. "Can you two at least try to work things out?" I asked her, my voice became desolated. "I...I don't like seeing my uncle Jim so shattered."

 _"He looks shattered?"_ Barbara asked me, surprised.

I couldn't help but take offence to that. Did she not see how my uncle looked like at the station when she left? "Do you have eyes or what?" Was my snappy response. I quickly berated myself for my rude manners. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to sound brash. It's just that when it comes to my uncle Jim I get kind of protective. I don't like seeing my uncle in the dumps, yeah know? And I know for a fact that you make him happy...at least I think you do. I mean you do, _right_?" I attentively asked her.

 _"I—uh, it's okay, Winifred. I understand, he's your uncle. You care for him."_ She said stuttering, no doubt surprised over my outburst. I heard her take a deep breath and her voice became steady again. _"As for what you asked me well...I like to think that I make him happy...but this thing between us, it not only depends on me if we want it to work out, but also on him. It takes two to tango after all."_

I huffed. "Yeah, you're right..." I muttered.

 _"Look, I can't say how things are going to go,_ _Winifred. But don't think for a second that I won't try to work things out between your uncle Jim and I. Because if he's still in, then I'm still in, okay?"_

Barbara told me vehemently and firmly.

I contemplated her answer...weighing it. After a few seconds I sighed. I guess it was better than nothing.

"Alright...I understand." I murmured.

 _"Look Winifred, I have to go to the art gallery, busy day and all...but don't be afraid to call me. I'd still like to spend some more time with you...even if things between James and I are...complicated."_

She told me whole heartily.

"I'd like that too." I told her as a small smile formed on my face.

 _"Oh, that reminds me! Do you still need me to pick you up from school tomorrow?"_

"Nah, it's okay." I immediately replied back to her.

 _"Are you sure?"_

Barbara asked, sounding taken back by my response.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Besides my uncle Jim said it would be okay for me to take the bus." I said lying perfectly calm to her.

 _"Oh...okay."_ She said still sounding unsure. Her voice then rose up to normal. _"Well, I uh have to go now, but remember to stay in contact with me."_ She said softly to me.

"Will do." I replied back to her.

 _"Alright, take care."_

"You too."

And with that we hung up. I took a deep breath and set aside my cellphone on my dresser. I ran a hand through my hair, getting rid of a few of my blonde tangled locks. I kept thinking about what Barbara said, trying to figure out what could of made her and my uncle argue about. Obviously it had been because of my uncle's job, but what exactly was the reason they fought? Was it because work took to much of my uncle's time? No it couldn't be because of that. Maybe it was because he was being to secretive with her...perhaps that was it. Either way I just wanted my uncle to be happy and not heartbroken...

I really hoped this issue between them would be solved soon, because I don't like seeing my uncle Jim in a somber like state...I really don't.

* * *

The next morning I woke up extra early since I wanted to shower and make breakfast this time for my uncle Jim. And like clock work my uncle Jim woke up at the same time as usual.

We ate breakfast together, though this time I decided to make pancakes. Which if I had to brag about, they came pretty good. I really liked eating pancakes because the breakfast plate reminded me of me of my mother. She and I would always make pancakes together for breakfast. It was a bittersweet memory, but nonetheless, my uncle and I enjoyed our meal.

Anyways after my uncle and I finished eating, he drove me to school. Once we had arrived there, he started telling me that he was leaving work early today to pick me up. I of course didn't like this. I didn't want to be a bigger nuisance than already was, so I told him a lie. I mean, I already lied to Barbara that he was the one picking me up, so I guess it made more sense if I lied to him as well.

Besides, it was for the best. He didn't have to leave work early and I got to finally be out on my own in the city. I really wanted to finally gain familiarity settings around the city like I had back in Boston. And that was never going to happen if people kept taking me everywhere with them. It's times like these that I really wish I had my license already, but sadly I didn't have it yet. I had my permit, but no license. Maybe once when my uncle had some free time, I could ask him to take me to the DVM, but as of right now I was going to have to rely on other people, my feet, and buses for transportation.

When I told my uncle about me already having a ride, he seemed surprised. He probably didn't expect Barbara to be picking me up, because of their argument, but little did he knew it was a lie. And he fell for it. Anyways, he said it was alright and then after that, he dropped me off in front of the school. I waited until he was out of sight before I entered the school.

Now unlike my first day fiasco, this time when I entered I didn't fall onto the floor. Much to my relief anyways. Although I did have a few stares thrown at me every now and then. Not to mention I could hear what people were saying about me involving the incident that happened yesterday.

Whatever...I wasn't going to let that ruin my day.

So with that, I put a neutral smile on my face and made my way towards my first class. Biology.

Now although Mr. Crane gave me eerie vibes, there was still something good that came out of that science class. And that was Jonathan.

I really wanted to talk to him, and I was glad when I saw him walk into the classroom. Sadly once he saw me waving towards him, he nervously looked away and sat several desks away from me.

This hurt my feelings a lot and a dejected frown replaced my warm smile.

And that was how the rest of the class went on. I tried catching Jonathan's attention, but every-time we made eye contact he quickly looked away with a flustered like expression. I was confused by this, but then thought about what he told me yesterday.

Was he still mad at me? If so then I really wanted to change that. I just wanted to show him that I want to be his friend. I meant him no harm...

Just as class had started, it had ended just as quickly. I heard the bell ring and I got out of my seat. Just as I was about to make my way towards Jonathan, I saw how he gave me one last earnest type of expression before he bolted out of the classroom.

I sighed at this but stored away my hurt feelings, knowing I had my next class to go to.

The rest of my classes actually went by pretty fast as well. In English class we were starting to read the novel, _The Scarlet Letter._ Which I happened to have already read, several times. But despite this, I was actually excited to be reading it, again. The novel itself never bored me because it was indeed very interesting. The other class I had though was math and that was the definition of _boring_. But then again, when is it not, right?

Anyways, it was lunch time now and as soon as I entered the lunch area I saw how everyone was scattered around in their groups, enjoying their lunches together.

As for me?

Well...I didn't exactly have a place, let alone a group to sit with. I let my eyes wonder around, hoping to find a empty seat, but there was none. I did however have the nice pleasure of seeing the bully from yesterday. He was sitting with his group of friends and had his arm around a girl's waist. I cringed at seeing this. My face became guarded when I saw how their attention landed on me. The bully himself gave me the most mad-dog faces I had ever seen and the girl, who I assumed was his girlfriend, was also giving me the evil eye. Which I found to be a bit more disturbing since she was actually a very pretty girl. She had long straight brown hair, fair skin, and from where I was standing I could tell her makeup was on point. But I guess that didn't matter...maybe she might have been pretty from the outside, but definitely not from the inside. Not with the way she was looking at me... _yikes_. If looks could kill...

I tried my best to ignore their burning like stares and instead decided to head somewhere else. Besides the person I wanted to sit with was not there...that didn't surprise me though. Considering what happened yesterday at lunch, I figured Jonathan would be as far away from the lunch area.

With that in mind I left the lunch area and headed to go inside, making my way towards the schools library. I figured it was best to hang out there during lunch since I probably wasn't welcomed in the lunch area. Not that it mattered. I could really use this time to read or to draw in my sketch book anyways.

After a few minutes of me wandering the halls I finally made it to the library and I graciously entered inside. As soon as I walked in I saw how empty it was. Barely anyone inside. Which was great for me because the less people meant the more quieter it was.

Except someone caught my attention...Jonathan.

He was sitting on the floor leaning against the wall, between these two book cases. I made my way towards him, but he was so occupied with the book he was reading that he must have not heard me. A smile formed on my lips as I saw the book he was reading. It was a psychology book and based on the intrigued expression he had, I right away knew he was liking it.

"That looks like an interesting read." I spoke up, letting him know I was there.

I saw how he became startled by my voice. Once his gaze went up towards me, I saw how his cheeks became slightly filled with a pink tint. "Uh, yeah, it is." He said speaking up skittishly. His gaze this time didn't look away from me, like he had done so many times in class.

I took this as a good sign. Happy that he wasn't running or shyly looking away. "Want some company?" I asked with a smile.

Jonathan didn't answer me right away. It looked as if he were thinking something over. After a few seconds of this he slowly nodded his head, hesitantly.

I took a seat next to him and crossed my legs in a criss cross applesauce way. After that I turned to look at him and noticed that he was still staring at me. I continued to smile at him, only this time I decided to engulf him a friendly conversation. But before I even said anything he beat me to it.

"What are you doing?" He asked me suddenly and bluntly.

"Umm, sitting?" I answered him lamely.

Jonathan narrowed his blue eyes at my own. "You know that's not what I mean." He told me firmly. "I mean, why are you here...with me? You do know that you're ruining your chance at fitting in here at this school for associating with me, right?"

I heard the warning in his tone, but I heard the sadness as well.

"Yeah...I know." I told him shrugging my shoulders.

Jonathan frowned setting the book he had on his lap. "And yet you're still here...why is that?" He questioned me, curiously tilting his head.

"Because I want to be your friend." I replied back to him in an obvious tone. "Is that so hard to believe?"

Jonathan answer was glum and I saw his eyes lower down towards the floor.

"Yes, it is. No one's ever tried to befriend me before, so why you?"

"Because honestly...you're the only person here who I think is worth befriending in this school." I said truthfully with a soft voice.

Jonathan slowly rose his gaze back towards mine. I saw how his blue eyes somewhat lightened up and his grim like expression fell.

"But what about how you'll be treated?" He asked me, still sounding a bit nervous.

"What about it?" I asked and then a light bulb went off in my head. "Wait is that why you've been avoiding me? Because you think I'm going to be treated badly too?"

Jonathan nodded his head and he sighed. "You're a nice person...I didn't want you down in the pyramid of popularity with me. You seem like the type of girl whose into school activities and such...and like I said you're really _nice_. You stood up for me...and you're still here trying to befriend me... even when I yelled at you. Which by the way...I'm sorry for." He said, apologizing with crestfallen expression.

I appreciated his apology. "Hey, don't sweat the whole outburst...I kind of get it." I said to him calmly, although I was surprised that he was able to tell so much about me. Well not the whole being nice, but the whole active in school stuff. "And yeah you're right. I like to be involved in school social events, but, uh, can't I still be your friend and join school activities as well?"

He looked relieved that accepted his apology, and I saw how he nodded his head. "Of course you can." Jonathan informed me, answering my question, before his voice wavered. "It's just the others you're going to have to deal with..."

I raised my eyebrows. "Others? You mean like that neanderthal?"

Jonathan let out a low chuckle much to my surprise. "Neanderthal? I'm assuming you mean Josh."

"Yeah, whatever that bully's name is." I said with a wave in my hand. "Look it doesn't matter to me, alright? Him or anyone else. If I want to be your friend, then I'll be your friend and if I want to join school actives then I also will. But I think the bigger question here is do _you_ want to be my friend?"

Jonathan gave me a expression that I could tell it was a melancholic one. "You really do want to be my friend, don't you?" He whispered to me and I nodded my head. I heard him release a sigh and his gaze lowered again. "I _—_ I don't know how to be a friend...I've never really had one before."

I gave him a smile. "That's alright, it's not rocket science. Look how about we just slowly get to know each other, okay?" I suggested to him gently. "We don't even have to talk one-to-one right now. We could just sit here and read our books, or whatever, while we enjoy a snack."

Jonathan gave me a grateful look and then furrowed his eyebrows. "What snack?"

I smiled again and opened up my backpack, taking out the cookies I had made yesterday. "Why this of course." I told him giggling. "I hope you like chocolate chip cookies, I made them yesterday."

Jonathan gave me a small smile in return. "Yeah, uh, thanks."

"No problemo." I said in a cheerful voice. "Now do you want to continue on with your reading?"

"Yeah...if that's okay with you." He said to me shyly.

"Totally fine." I informed him with a smile and I took out my own book from my backpack.

And that was how the rest of our lunch time went. We read in humble silence, ate some of the cookies I made, exchanged a few side glances towards each, along with small smiles, and plus I even got Jonathan to let out another chuckle or two. It really was great to hear him laugh, it made me laugh in return as well. Jonathan's laugh to me was rare thing to hear...it's like he hardly laughed. Which was sad because to me his laugh was beautiful and soft-like. It really was a shame he didn't do it more often. Now that we were getting know each other, I had promised myself that I was going to do my best in order to keep that laugh near the surface.

Anyways, after we were finally getting use to each other's presence, the dreaded lunch bell rang and the two of us had to report to are next class. Before I left though I made sure to ask Jonathan if we could hang out tomorrow here at the library again during lunch. And much to my happiness he agreed, stuttering out a, _"Yeah, sure, I'd, uh, like that very much."_

I had to giggle at his shyness, it was to enduring at times. But once we had agreed to where we were going to meet up, the both of us carried on to are classes. I still had two classes left, and sadly Jonathan wasn't in them, therefore I wouldn't be seeing him until tomorrow. But hey, at least there was something to look forward to, right?

It wasn't until I was in my last class that I got a message from a unknown number. I frowned when I saw it, but nonetheless I still opened the text and read it.

 _ **Winifred, I need you to come to the G.C.P.D, ASAP. — Jim**_

Huh? That's weird...why would my uncle Jim be sending me a text message from a number that's not his own.

Something definitely didn't feel right about this. So once school was out I decided to call my uncle's cellphone number, but unfortunately he didn't answer and it went straight to voicemail.

I felt my stomach churn a little, while my brain went into thinking mode...

My uncle wasn't answering...maybe his phone died and he had to use someones else phone to contact me?

Yeah that was probably it...but still why did he need me to come to the station?

Maybe it had something to do with Barbara and him?

I inwardly rolled my eyes. _Doubt it._

Well, there really was only one way to find out. I could just arrive there by bus, I was already going to head home on the bus anyways. I mean how hard could it be to find my way to G.C.P.D. on my own? Couldn't be that difficult. I kind of remembered where the station was at. So without even thinking another second about this, I got on the bus and headed my way towards where my uncle was at.

* * *

By the time I had gotten off the bus, it was already mid-afternoon. Though to be honest, much to my dismay, I think the reason why I took so long to get off was because I was having trouble navigating through the streets of Gotham. I know...stupid me. I probably should have thought things through before I got on the bus. I didn't even have a map or anything to help me out, and all I had was the remembrance on how to get to the G.C.P.D. Except that didn't really do anything since I managed to get off the wrong stop.

 _Great...just great. Way to be such the navigator, Winifred._

I turned towards where the bus was ready to get back on, but I let out a irritated huff as I saw how the bus was already driving away. Seeing this made me let out another huff, as I ran a hand through my wavy blonde hair.

What was I suppose to do now? The bus was already out of my sight and I had no clue on where I was, let alone to how far I was from the G.C.P.D. station.

A soft like meow caught my attention. Momentarily I forgot about my distraught state and I let my curiosity get the best of me, as I suddenly got into investigator mode. My head turned towards where the alleyway was and I furrowed my eyebrows. It sounded as if the noise was coming from over there. I carefully took several steps in order to get a better view. As soon as I did that, a soft smiled appeared on my face.

There on top on one of the trash cans stood a grey tabby cat. I awed silently, as I took in its appearance. To me it was simply adorable. I had always found cats to be enchanting. More than dogs. Don't get me wrong, I loved dogs. But cats...I don't know, there was just something about these captivating creatures that made them stand out to me.

I carefully took another step towards the cat. "Hey Kitty." I cooed softly, not wanting to frighten this majestic creature away.

The grey tabby cat lifted it head up and turned it's gaze towards me. As soon as it saw me, I almost expected it to scurry away into the depths of the city streets, but to my surprise it didn't. In fact the cat did the opposite, and instead of running away, it jumped off the trash can and made it's away towards me. I let out a soft laugh as I felt the cat ran along my legs in a doting way.

"Who's a pretty kitty?" I whispered, my voice filled with affection.

"His name is midnight."

A new voice, one I hadn't heard before filled my ears. I quickly lifted my head away from the cat, and instead faced the alleyway again to see who was there. But much to my confusion there was no one. I frowned deeply.

"Who said that?" I asked heedfully. There was no way I could have imagined that voice...someone had said that out loud.

"I did." The voice spoke up again, much to my relief. _See...I knew I hadn't imagined that voice._ I thought stubbornly. This time I could tell the voice belonged to a girl. And I could also hear a facetious attitude in her tone. With an ounce of extra determination, I continued to let my gaze wander around the alley way, but yet again there was no one there. This time I let out an annoyed huff.

"Okay...where are _you_?" I asked slightly irritated, and wary as well.

A humorous laugh echoed through the alleyway.

"Up here, _blondie_."

I narrowed my eyes and let them wander up towards the apartment buildings. I felt foolish doing this. I mean, there was no way someone could be up there. Right?

Of course, I was proven wrong when my blue eyes landed onto a girl's form. She was on top on one of the side apartment railing stairs. I was left completely baffled. What was she doing up there? She must have sensed my bemusement because I saw how the grin she had on expand on her youthful face.

During this time I studied the girl thoroughly. I could tell right away, even if she were leaning against the stairs railing, that she was much shorter than me. She seemed to be in her early teen years, right around the same age as Bruce. I took in her outfit and saw that she was wearing ripped jeans, black boots for shoe wear, a black shirt along with a grey hoodie and a leather jacket over it.

The young girl had her hood up, but as soon as she came to contact with my eyes she let it down and that's when I saw the cool like goggles she had on her head. I was taken back, because honestly this young girl had strong riveting facial features. Her eyes were what I noticed after her outfit. They were a beautiful hazel green eye color. They were compelling to look at and they reminded me of cat eyes. She also had short light brown curly hair. The hairstyle she had fit her, but the longer I stared at the girl the more it seemed as if I had seen her before... _hmmm._ But that's strange because I hadn't.

The girl saw how I was scrutinizing her and she did it right back to me. Her hazel green eyes took in my appearance and I saw how she let out a droll like scoff.

"What are you doing here, blondie?"

"I got off on the wrong stop." I started explaining to her, but stopped and frowned. _Blondie?_ I felt more annoyed that she called me by that ridiculous nickname... again. I felt a grimace grow on my face. I harden my voice a bit. "Look, you mind not calling me that. My name isn't blondie, alright? It's _—"_

"Would you prefer if I called you Nancy Drew instead?" The girl said cutting me off, not letting me introduce myself. She let out a chuckle as she pointed at me with one of her fingers. "Cause with the outfit you're wearing, you might as well be her."

It was odd that she interrupted me, but that thought was soon forgotten right away as I heard what she said to me. "What?" I asked appalled. Did she seriously just say my outfit compared to Nancy Drew's? In what way did my outfit seem that way? I mean, yeah I was wearing a knee length burgundy skirt, a white flower top, with a grey striped cardigan, along with my favorite red scarf, but that in no way to me qualified as a "Nancy Drew" outfit. Whatever that meant. Besides Nancy Drew wears penny loafers! I _don't_. I wear flats...so no. I wasn't in anyway like her. "No, I actually wouldn't prefer that." I replied back to her as calmly as possible, but there was still a hint of irritation in my voice.

"Alright, so blondie it is."

The girl must have seen my annoyed expression, because she let out a laugh, enjoying herself as she was ribbing at me with that ridiculous nickname.

I was about to respond back to her, when I felt the cat rub against my legs wanting my attention again.

"Huh?" I heard the girl say, amazed.

"What?" I asked looking back towards her.

The girl had her head tilted and she shrugged trying to be nonchalant.

"Nothing, it's just that he normally isn't this friendly with people."

I looked back down towards the cat and I saw how he was now staring at me with it's extraordinary like eyes. "You said his name was midnight?" I asked the girl, looking back at her. She nodded her head at me. "So is he yours?" I asked her.

"Yes and no." She answered me simply crossing her arms across her chest.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked her, confused.

"I take care of him from time to time...but at the end of the day, he's not really mine. He's his own owner, you know?"

I took what girl said to me, finding it real clever, and a kosher like smile made it's way onto my face. "Yeah...I get it." I let my blue eyes land onto her hazel green eyes. "So...what are you doing up there anyways? Do you live around here?" I asked her, full on curious.

"Don't you know? I'm the neighborhood watch." She said, but I heard the sarcasm in her tone. "Got to keep my eyes out for those street thief's, because in case you didn't know... they're _everywhere_. And you really shouldn't be here, _blondie_."" She said to whispering the last part, trying to be sardonic, but I can tell she was also being serious. This was Gotham after all...which reminded me I really needed to find my way to the G.C.P.D. I gave the mysterious girl a hopeful expression.

"You wouldn't by chance know which way is the Gotham City Police Department, do you?"

The girl smirked knowingly. "Of course I do." She gave me an amused look. "Let me guess, that's where you're heading? What you turning yourself in for a crime or something, _blondie_?" She said snickering the last part, almost as if she thought it were impossible for me to commit a crime.

I gave her a placid expression not finding the hilarity in what she said, especially in the nickname. "No, I just have to go there. So could you please help me out?" I asked her politely.

The girl stopped her laughing and narrowed her eyes towards me. I heard her let out a defeated sigh. "Alright, blondie." She said rolling her eyes playfully." Look you're actually not that far. Just keeping heading straight in this street and in two blocks turn right and then within the next street you should be there."

"Really?" I asked and she nodded her head. "Thank you." I said with a well mannered voice. She gave me a whatever expression, as if thinking my manners were odd or something. Despite her behavior I kept my smile on my face and glanced down towards the grey tabby cat, who was still there. I gently petted it on it's head and I felt it purr before I looked back towards the girl. I saw how she was looking at me with her arms still crossed over her chest. She had on a thinking face, almost as if she didn't know what to think of me.

I felt odd being watched like this, so I decided it was best to go. But before I left, I really wanted to know something...

"So what's your name?" I suddenly asked her. I really wanted to know who this mysterious girl was.

The girl raised her eyebrows in a goad like way. "Why do you want to know my name for?"

"Well because I want to know the name of the person who helped me." I told her seriously.

She smirked at this. "Selina...Selina Kyle." Her smirk then turned into a real smile. "But people call me Cat."

"Cat, huh?" I repeated and gave her a smile as well. "I like it, it fits you well." And it did. With the way she looked it totally did. I could tell this young girl was going to be a real beauty when she grew up. Although I still didn't like the nicknames she came up for me. I suddenly remembered something. I opened my backpack and took out the bag that had the extra cookies that were left over from mine and Jonathan's lunch. "Here, catch." I told her before I threw the bag towards where she was and with fast like reflexes she caught it with ease.

She looked at the bag confused before looking back at me. "What's this for?" She asked furrowing her eyebrows.

"It's for helping me out." I told her before giving her an encouraging smile. "Open it."

She gave me a chary expression before she slowly opened the bag and took out a cookie. She smelled it and her face became tranquil for a second. "Did you buy or make these?" She asked looking back at me.

"I made them." I told her and felt happy when she made a " _Hmmm"_ like noise when she took a bite from the cookie.

"Not bad." She told me trying to sound nonchalant, but I could tell she really enjoyed the cookies.

"Yeah...well thanks again, Cat.." I told her adjusting my backpack. I gave her one last smile before I turned to face the street again.

"You're welcome, and see you around...Winifred."

"Yeah, see you _—"_ I stopped walking though and I became greatly puzzled. "Wait a minute how do you know my name?" I asked and quickly turned back around. Only there was no one on the stair railing anymore. Not even midnight the cat was in alleyway. _What in the world?_ How did she know my name? She never gave me the chance to tell her. How odd...very odd. I stepped away from the alleyway and continued on with my walking, making my way towards G.C.P.D. All the way thinking about that mysterious girl, who had known my name all along.

* * *

Thanks to Selina's―or should I say _Cat's_ instructions, I quickly found my way to the G.C.P.D. I still wondered how in the world she knew my name. I mean I never even told her. So...how did she _know_?

I had this thought wandering around in my head as I hurriedly made my way inside the G.C.P.D. Once inside my thoughts about my mysterious helper came to a sudden stop. My attention turned towards the sight that was in front of me.

I saw how the main area was crowded with police officers, who were roaming around. I also took notice how the other workers were handling answering the phones. Which by the sounds of it, were ringing off the hook. It appeared as if today was a very chaotic day. Then again it's Gotham. Its always chaotic here, right? Although, by carefully analyzing some of the G.C.P.D. workers facial expressions thoroughly, I did manage to see how they seemed to be more disorderly than usual. This caused me to frown, as my curiosity began to grow.

What was going on at the station today? Did something crazy occur while I was at school?

Just as I was thinking these questions, I caught sight of my dear uncle Jim. He was up on the balcony talking to his partner Detective Bullock. From where I was standing it looked as if they were having an important conversation. Just as I was about to make my way over though, Detective Bullock's eyes landed on me. I saw his expression faltered a bit before he said something to my uncle. It didn't even take ten seconds for him to react. His head quickly turned towards my direction and his blue eyes fell onto my own. I took notice how his expression held absolute surprise as he quickly made his way towards me.

"Winifred, what are you doing here?" My uncle asked once he was in front of me. He looked thrown off by my presence. Which caused me to feel great bemusement. I mean he was the one that told me to come here. I was about to retort this back to him when he spoke again. "Did something happen to you?" He asked in a much unruffled tone.

"No, nothings happen to me uncle Jim. I'm fine." I told him and I saw how he relaxed a bit in his stance.

"Well if nothing's the matter, then why are you here?" He asked me with confusion. His eyes narrowed and his expression became earnest. "Did Barbara drop you off?" He asked me suddenly.

"Umm, no." I answered sheepishly with a meek smile. His expression didn't falter as he waited for my response."I, uh, took the bus here." I admitted to him.

"You-you what?" My uncle asked with a wide eyed expression. "Winifred, why would you do that? I thought Barbara was supposed to pick you up from school and then drop you off at my apartment."

I sighed, knowing what my uncle Jim was thinking. I guess I still needed to explain myself now. "Don't blame Barbara uncle Jim." I told him with a soft voice. "I was the one who told her that you gave me permission to ride the bus." As soon as I said this my uncle's face became stern as he went into parent mode. I tried to muffle up a smile, but I know it came out looking really tight and awkward. "I just wanted to prove that I can take the bus in Gotham and I did. I didn't even get lost on my way here." I said in a optimistic tone trying to convince him.

Although that was a total lie. I probably would of been wandering the streets right now if it hadn't been for Cat's rightful directions. But I figured that if I told my uncle about me getting lost, then he wouldn't let me go on a bus in Gotham again.

My uncle though shook his head as he let out a sigh. I could still tell he wasn't happy about me riding the bus...

"Besides..." I said as I shuffled between my feet continuing the conversation. "The only reason I came here is because you told me to."

"What?" My uncle looked baffled. "I never asked you that." He said as his blue eyes landed onto my own.

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Yes you did uncle Jim. You sent me a text and everything." I said to him in a firm voice. How could he forget about the text he sent me?

"What text?" He asked as his expression now became wary. "What exactly did it say?"

I felt my stomach drop a little as I stared at his expression. It was now dawning on me that perhaps my uncle Jim really didn't know about the message. Instead of telling him though, I pulled out my phone from my backpack and opened it up to the text message. I then handed my phone to him and watched as he read the text.

In no less than ten seconds I saw how his face harden. He then looked back towards me and handed the phone over.

"Winifred, this isn't my number."

"I know it's not. But when I tried calling your real number all I got was your voicemail. I figured your phone was either dead or turned off." I explain to him and saw how he was clenching his jaw.

"I was in a meeting with a few lawyers discussing a case. My phone was off that's why I wasn't answering." My uncle Jim explained to me.

Well that did make a lot more sense now...but the question still remained...

"Uncle Jim...if you didn't send me the text, then who did?" I asked him, quite puzzled.

My uncle took a second to relax himself a bit and his face became softer. Just as he was about to say something to me a hard voice interrupted him.

"Gordon, right?"

My uncle and I both turned towards where the voice came from. That's when we came into view with a middle aged man. I suddenly became very guarded once I realized it was a man I didn't know. My sudden chariness surfaced as well because of the way the man was looking at us. Well specifically at my uncle Jim. He had dark eyes and a hawkish expression. He was wearing all back and his whole entire demeanor made me feel severely suspicious towards him. My uncle must of felt the same way I did because he narrowed his wary gaze on the man.

"Yeah, who the hell are you?" My uncle asked the unknown man with a rough voice. He stepped closer towards me as he tried blocking any closeness the man had on me.

The man took no notice to this and instead gave my uncle a grating look. "You gotta come with me now, nice and quiet, like." He said in a low voice. And although it was a request, I recognized the demanding is his tone.

I saw my uncle glare at the man. "What are you talking about?" He asked as his stance was still close to me.

At this point the man finally lingered his gaze on me and I immediately froze in place. His expression was not at all friendly. My uncle Jim saw my distressed expression and he fully blocked me from the man.

"Relax, we got a mutual friend." I heard the man say and I frowned at this. What did he mean by _mutual_ friend?

"Oh, yeah?" My uncle asked with a curt voice. "Who's that?"

"Oswald Cobblepot."

As soon as the man said that name my uncle's body became still. I didn't even have to look at his face in order to know that it held some sort of panic expression. But why this sudden reaction? I mean who was this Oswald Cobblepot and how was my uncle Jim associated with him? I never once heard my uncle mutter that name before.

The man must have taken my uncle's reaction as a good sign, because I heard him talk in a much more sneer like tone.

"Yeah, him. And if you don't come with me now we're gonna put his head in a bag and send it to Falcone. Which would be embarrassing for you, no?" I heard the man ask my uncle Jim condescendingly.

I inwardly stated to feel panic once I heard the man say all this. Just what kind of mutual friend was this Oswald Cobblepot...better yet who was this Falcone person? I didn't know any of these names and that frustrated me. Obviously something bad was going on and my uncle was right in the middle of this conflict.

I slowly stepped to the side of my uncle Jim, wanting to see his facial expression. Once to the side I saw how he was clenching his jaw. This definitely was not a good sign. I daringly gazed back towards the black clothed man and swallowed the lump in my throat. He was now staring at me with hard look, obviously analyzing me. My blue eyes went wide due to his piercing stare and I walked towards my uncle again. My uncle quickly pushed me behind him. I made no resistance and allowed myself to be pushed behind his protective form. This time I caught a sight of his expression. It appeared as if he were thinking about something. I then heard the man let out a patient-less sigh.

"Or maybe we've been misinformed. If I'm not ringing any bells here, you can go on your merry way and take your _niece_ with you."

I didn't miss the way the man emphasized the word niece. But that's not what made my blood run cold. It was the fact that he knew who I was, when my uncle and I have never seen this man before. Just how the hell did he know that?

I glanced back toward the man and saw how he was giving my uncle a knowing look. Something must have clicked in my uncles head because he got a dreaded type of expression on his face before he quickly hid it away.

"No, I'll come. Just me though. She stays out of this." My uncle said to the man with a sharp voice.

The man didn't say anything but simply gave my uncle a stern nod.

My uncle then pulled me to the side, a few feet away from the man. He was still keeping a close eye on us but I forced myself to look at my uncle.

"Uncle Jim...please tell me you're not really going with that man?" I asked with a low voice. Was he insane? What if he ended up hurt? Or worse...I gasped a little and stared at my uncle with a pleading look.

My uncle noticed my expression and he sighed, aghast. "Look Winifred, I have to go. There's something I need to handle. I'll be fine." He said trying to reassure me, but it didn't really work. "Just don't leave the station alright?" My uncle added with a stern tone.

I immediately began to protest and shook my head. "But uncle Jim..."

"Winifred." My uncle stopped me with a parental voice. His eyes were stern and I sighed knowing there was no use in arguing with him. I closed own my eyes briefly before opening them again. I stared at him hard, contemplating everything, before I finally, reluctantly, nodded my head.

He looked mildly relieved by this. "Don't leave the station." He repeated to me again. "And if anybody asks where I am, just tell them I had an emergency or something personal I needed to deal with." He told me with a serious voice. I once again nodded my head. He tried giving me a reassuring smile, but I could tell it was half-hearted. "I'll be back soon, don't worry." He tells me somberly. I notice how the last part he says is almost like a whisper. He gave me a quick hug, but I frowned once I saw him leave with that menacing looking man.

My stomach dropped a little. None of this sat well with me...for all I know this could be trap for him or something. I quickly reassured myself that it wasn't and that even if it was, my uncle was more than capable of handling things on his own.

Still though I couldn't help but feel distress as as I thought back to the names of Oswald Cobblepot and Falcone. I don't exactly know why...but those names made red flags appear in my head. Whoever they were, it was obvious that my uncle Jim knew them. Although he never once mentioned there names to me before... though I guess, judging by what just happened with this random man, there must have been a reason for that.

Maybe my uncle Jim thought that if I knew about them then I would be in danger. So, I kind of understand why he would keep this type of information from me. Except if there's one thing I learned today is that keeping secrets away from loved ones doesn't necessarily mean they'll be safe. I mean, take the text I got as an example. I don't know who sent it to me. But someone knows of _me_ and has my number...but who exactly?

Well I have no idea...although if I had to guess, I'd say it was either that man my uncle left with or someone whose with him. But the whole " _who sent the text message_ " thing was the least of my worries. All I could focus on right now, was worry for uncle Jim's safety.

* * *

I let out a sigh for what seemed like the hundredth time. When in reality it was much less than that number count. I was just getting impatient and the worry I had for my uncle Jim was exceeding with every second that passed. I mean its been almost an hour since he had left with that... _man_. So to say I was only worried would be a total understatement. I was beyond anxious and on edge. I mean for all I know my uncle Jim could be getting severely hurt right now...or he could be in an even more terrible condition. I felt my stomach drop as I thought this.

Okay I really needed to calm down and throw away these pessimistic thoughts. Their just making things worse. Taking a deep breath I slowly closed my eyes and shut everything around me out as I solely focused on my thoughts.

 _Okay relax, Winifred. No need to panic. I'm sure he's okay. He is a detective after all. He knows how to handle and respond to dangerous situations. Besides, he did say to me that he would come back. Which means that he will...he has to._

I let these thoughts run around my head until I leveled out a bit. Once I was somewhat less fretful, I opened my eyes again. I saw how everything inside the G.C.P.D. was in the same condition since I arrived here. Officers and workers were still wandering around the station, quite hectically. I concluded that whatever they were dealing with had to be over something major. It had to be if it caused this much commotion at the police station.

I slowly looked away from the officers and workers and instead started half spinning on my uncle's chair. I then let my eyes wander on to his desk that was right in front of me. A small smile formed on my face when my gaze landed back onto the photo he had of him and my mother.

 _My mother..._

Thinking of my mother made my smile falter and I started feeling sad. I wondered what she was doing right now...what she feeling...thinking...anything really.

Since my move to Gotham, she and I haven't been keeping in contact. I understood why though. Right now she needed to focus on her therapy and the treatment she was getting. The doctors had explained to me and my uncle through the phone that it would probably take a while before my mother would be stable enough to converse with us. They also said that she would needed extra time for her to get use to the medication she was taking.

Now although I'm not a psychiatrist or anything, I'm pretty sure that the disorder my mom has― schizoaffective disorder― was going to be heavily medicated. Prescribed medications only of course. Still I hoped she'd call soon. I really did miss the sound of her voice. Plus, I wanted to tell her about everything that has been happening since my arrival to Gotham.

Okay... maybe not everything. I didn't want her to think that my life was in constant danger or anything. Although one could argue about that. Especially with the mysterious text I had received. But hey I hadn't been hurt...not yet anyway. I mentally shook my head. Whoever sent that text ultimately never showed their face, so I had to conclude that I was going to be fine...

 _For now..._

I inwardly rolled my eyes as my head snuck this thought in.

Anyways...

I probably wouldn't tell my mother everything because I didn't want her to think that my uncle was being irresponsible with my safety. Cause let me tell you, he sure wasn't. He treated me more like a father than a uncle.

The again that wasn't really surprising.

You see growing up fatherless made see my uncle Jim more like a father figure to me. He was always there for me when I was a kid. Well right before he went off to join the services. But even when he was away fighting, thousands and thousands of miles away, he still kept in contact with my mother and I. Through letters and phone calls. Which is whole lot more than what my real father has ever done. Because let's face it, my real father...whoever he was, had been a no show since I born...and he probably would always be absent from my life.

Whatever...it's not like I need him or anything...

 _Still..._

I couldn't deny that growing up without a father didn't affect me in the slightest. Because the truth was it did. It made me sad knowing that he left my mother and I. That he didn't even stick around to meet me as a baby...he probably doesn't even know my name...just like how I don't know his name...

 _You still have your mother. Even if she's mentally ill, there's no hiding the fact that she loves you dearly. And you also have your uncle Jim, who cares you. Why need your real father, when you already have someone who treats you like a daughter?_

I inwardly told myself, hoping to throw away the blah feelings I was having. After all, what I was thinking to myself was true. Why need my real father when I already have my uncle Jim. He was enough of a father figure for me anyways.

With with this in mind, I stopped the spinning I was doing on my uncle's chair and instead pulled out my sketchbook that I had in my backpack. I mentally gave myself a pat on the back for bringing my sketchbook to school with me today. I often did this at my old school in case I ever got inspired to draw. Right now, I wanted to draw in order to distract myself from boredom. A way to pass time until my uncle comes back.

 _That's if he comes back..._

I rolled my eyes.

 _Shut up inner consciousness. We already discussed this. He is coming back._

I huffed irritated with myself, before I took out my pencil from my backpack. A few minutes passed with me tapping my pencil, as I tried to figure out what to draw. A simple challenge came to mind and I started drawing. The first drawing was of the outside of the G.C.P.D. I finished that one rather quickly. I then decided to draw the inside. That one took longer because I went into great detail. I shaded a few areas to make sure it stood out more. In the end I was proud with how they turned out. It only took about thirty minutes in total to finish both of them.

When I finished though I frowned. I once again had nothing else to do but to continue to wait for my uncle.

I hurriedly began thinking of a more challenging drawing. One that would take more time to complete. I pondered...

A drawing of a person usually takes more time. Especially if you want it to be just as precise as the person you have in mind.

A light bulb then went off in my head. I knew exactly who to draw!

Selina― or should I say _Cat_?

Well whatever she liked to be called wasn't of importance right now. Her face though was. Since her face was new to me, it would be quite challenge for me to draw. She had very unique facial features. Especially her eyes. But I really wanted to try to sketch her. See if I was able to put her unique beauty on paper.

I then pictured her face in my head before I got an idea of how she looked like. I then started drawing. The shape of her face was first. I really wanted to have her face to be the right size and such. Not to big or to small. After that I started drawing her hair. I made sure it was long enough to reach her ears and made the curls she had stand out as well. Her facial features were last. First the nose. I had slight issues with her nose because I wanted it to be just as realistic and doting as possible. Her mouth though was easy to draw. Then came the eyes...the most challenging part of the whole drawing. Selina had very distinct cat like eyes. Therefore I took my time and made sure to put as much detail as possible. I was so into my work that I didn't notice how much time passed by when I finally finished. All I knew was that I was happy with how the drawing came out. I analyzed it and smiled once I saw how it really did look like her.

"Kid, what are you still doing here?"

A sudden gruff voice startled me, causing me to jump from my uncle's chair. I quickly shut my sketchbook though out of instinct. This is something I always did whenever someone caught me drawing. I always preferred to keep my drawings to myself. Unless of course I wanted to share them. But that was something I was picky about. The only people I ever showed my drawings to were my mother and few of my friends back in Boston. I hadn't even let my uncle Jim look at them. Then again he's never asked me. If he did perhaps I would show him. But I wasn't going to let whoever just startled me take a look at my sketch book. Speaking of the person who startled me...

I tucked my sketch book in my hands and then towards where the voice came from. I relaxed a little bit once I saw who it belonged to. It was just my uncle Jim's partner, Detective Bullock. He was wearing a brown suit and a darker trench coat over it. Huh, based on his attire he must have been coming from the city since he was dressed rather warmly. Come to think of it, I completely forgotten about Detective Bullock since I arrived here right after getting off the bus. I saw him with my uncle when I arrived, but because I was mainly focusing on my uncle, I forgot about him. Besides when my uncle left, detective Bullock had been nowhere in sight. He probably must have left to do his own thing for a case or something. But now that he was here I felt a little bit nervous. He didn't know about my uncle leaving with that dangerous looking man. And as far I could understand my uncle didn't want him or anyone at the station to know either. I bit the inside of my cheek, knowing I was going to have to remain calm.

Detective Bullock rolled his eyes. "Hello _kid_ , I asked what are you still doing here. Didn't _Jimbo_ take you home."

I took a deep breath as I pushed away my annoyance. I've said this before, but I'll say it again. Detective Bullock wasn't exactly my favorite person to converse with. I have no ill feelings towards him whatsoever. He is after all my uncle's partner. Meaning that I don't hate the man, but I still found him annoying from time to time. Not to mention that I wasn't really appreciating the way he was talking to me right now. Treating me like I was just some simple minded kid. I mean yeah I guess one could argue that I'm still considered a kid, but I'm not simple minded. Thankfully I managed to control the urge to scowl at him.

"If he had taken me home then I wouldn't be here right now, would I detective Bullock?"

I retorted back to him with a tight smile. Underneath my tone though there was definitely some attitude.

Detective Bullock must have caught on to this because he quickly returned a false smile to me. "No, I guess you wouldn't." He said before he took off his trench coat off and sat on his chair. His desk was right across from my uncle's.

"So, if you're still here, then where's Jim?" He asked me as he was ruffling through some work papers.

 _Remember don't tell him the truth of where he went..._

"He had an emergency he needed to deal with." I responded back to him with an evened tone. I was surprised by how convincing I sounded.

Once I finished saying this, Detective Bullock took a pause with going through his paper and furrowed his eyebrows. "You're saying that he just up and left? The hell kind of emergency did he have to deal with that made him leave like that." He said in disbelief.

"The kind that involves a person to leave Detective Bullock." I responded back to him with slight sarcasm.

Detective Bullock gave a me fake amused expression. "Anyone ever tell you, that you have such a scintillating way about you, Winifred."

I knew what the word scintillating meant. Clever, bright, skillful, etc. Except I could tell right away he was being sarcastic with me. In return to this, I just gave him a merry like smile. "Can't say that I have detective Bullock."

Detective Bullock chuckled dryly. "Yeah and I wonder why."

I resisted the urge to retort something back to him. But _gosh_ was it getting really hard to do so now. Pursing my lips, I instead used this time to put my sketch book and pencil back into my backpack.

"So listen, this so called "emergency" wouldn't have to do with your uncle's fiancee would it?" Detective Bullock suddenly asked me just as I finished zipping up my backpack.

"What?" I asked with a bemused expression, not at all expecting him to ask that question. I wouldn't have thought he'd have interest towards my uncle Jim's life outside of work. Let alone his romantic one with Barbara.

"Yeah, I mean are they going through a rough time right now?" Detective Bullock asked heedfully.

I blinked a couple of times. "Umm...yeah. I guess they are. " I responded back, not really feeling comfortable having this conversation with him. It still made me feel iffy, since it was involving my uncle's and Barbara's relationship. Which indeed was going through a rough time.

Detective Bullock scoffed. "Figures."

"What's that suppose to mean?" I asked him with a confused expression.

"Nothing." Detective Bullock waving off my question. "Listen kid, how long you going to be here for? I have a case to work on and I can't be babysitting you."

"No ones asking you to _babysit_ me Detective Bullock." I retorted back to him with a annoyed tone before calming myself. "I don't need supervision from you. Anyways, I have to wait here until my uncle comes back."

"And when _exactly_ will that be?"

I shrugged. "Whenever he finishes handling that emergency of his." _Which hopefully will be soon and he'll come back unharmed..._

"So you're saying I'm stuck with you until then?" Detective Bullock asked me with a slight frown.

"Yup..." I drawled out.

"That's just great..." Detective Bullock said rolling his eyes.

"Calm down Detective Bullock, or your enthusiasm is going to burst out of you." I said with a sardonic tone.

I saw how Detective Bullock was about to retort something back to me, only to be interrupted by the sound of his desk phone ringing.

"Hello?" He said as he answered the phone. I saw how his face scrunched up his in recollection. "Jim? What―" He stopped talking before his eyes wandered over to me. "Yeah, she's still here, but where are you?" His gaze lowered onto his desk and furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean handling personal matters? Wait you know what, I don't want to know right now."

I felt instant relief wash through me. My uncle Jim was fine, but I wondered why he called Detective Bullock instead of me? It was obvious based on the conversation so far, that my uncle hadn't told him the reason why he had left. And my guess is that it was going to stay that way. My attention was once again caught when I heard Detective Bullock speak again.

"When are you suppose to be back? What do you mean you don't know?" There was a pause before Detective Bullock responded again. "Well about your niece?" I listened attentively to what he was going to say. I then saw him frown and heard his voice raise up. "I can't just take her home Jim. There's a case that needs to be dealt with. Why can't she just take the bus― _geesh_ , alright calm down, she won't go on the bus. I'll just have to figure something else then." He said letting out a frustrated sigh before hanging up the phone.

"What my uncle say?"

"Well he says hi." Detective Bullock said sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes. "What else did he say?"

"That I need to drive back to his place, since he doesn't know when exactly he'll be back." Detective Bullock sighed. "Look, whatever he's going through with Barbara I wish him the best of luck. He sounded completely done. Women, I tell you." He said shaking his head.

At this I lowered my gaze to the ground. I didn't want him to look at the expression I had. I of course knew the real reason as to why my uncle had sounded that way. And it sure wasn't because of Barbara. It was because of that man he left with...who knows what occurred. But at least I knew he was alive and fine.

"So...are you driving me back to my uncle's apartment?" I found myself asking him after a minute of silence.

"Like I said, I can't." Detective Bullock said exasperated.

"Well then I guess I have stay here until my uncle comes back." I said folding my arms across my chest.

Detective Bullock huffed and ran a hand through his hair. He let his eyes wander to the side and I saw how they lit up with what I assumed was relief. "Nygma!" He yelled out loud.

I furrowed my eyebrows. Why was he calling out Ed's last name? My question was then answered by oncoming footsteps. I turned my head towards where the noise was coming from and I let out a genuine smile once I saw Ed walking towards us. I saw how today he was wearing a darkish green plaid suit with his lab coat over it.

"Hello, Detective Bullock." Ed greeted him with a smile once he reached our spot. He then looked over towards where I was sitting and I saw how his smile seemed to brighten up even more. "Oh, hello, Winifred! So nice to see you again."

My smile grew. He was just so zany, but in a good way. "Hey, Ed. Nice to see you too as well."

"Nygma, you're on your break, right?" Detective Bullock asked him. I could hear how hopeful he sounded with his question.

Ed adjusted his glasses with his slim fingers. "Why, yes I am detective."

"Great!" Detective Bullock proclaimed and I could practically imagine the chorus of hallelujah that was playing in his head. I saw how he gave Ed a fake like zest expression. "That's great, because you now have the honor of dropping off mini Gordon here back to Jim's place."

"Oh, no that's okay, Ed. You don't have to." I said immediately protesting. I didn't want to bother Ed during his break time, let alone waste it with him having to drive me back to my uncle's apartment. Besides, he probably had other things he wanted to do.

But I saw how Ed's brown eyes held nothing but excitement. "Oh, I don't mind."

"No, it's fine, I don't want to be a bother." I said to him sheepishly.

"Dear Winifred, you are not a bother to me and I would be more than happy to drive you home." Ed said with a smile. "Really, I don't mind."

"See?" Detective Bullock said chiming in loudly. "Nygma, here doesn't mind. Just let him drive you kid. Jimbo, would tear me a new one if I let you take the bus."

I nodded my head, knowing this was the better option. "Alright then."

Ed practically bounced from where he standing. "Great, let me just get my coat." And with that he hurried off to get his coat.

I heard detective Bullock let out a laugh.

"What's so funny?" I asked trying to figure what could be so amusing.

Detective Bullock shook his head, stiffing his laughter. "Nothing, I'm just trying to figure out if you're going to be able to handle being stuck in a car with _him_ of all people. You'll probably end up getting annoyed for sure. Still I wish you the best of luck. You're going to need it, especially if he's going to be asking you senseless riddles."

I merely gave him a small glare, before I quickly looked away from him.

 _Damn irritating_ _Detective._

* * *

You know contrary to what Detective Bullock had said to me, I really didn't have a problem being stuck in a car with Ed. I wasn't getting annoyed either, and his riddles were actually very clever and funny. They weren't senseless as detective Bullock thought they were. I'd say that Ed's riddles were very enduring. At least to me anyways. I guess some people, like Detective Bullock, just didn't like riddles in general. Which really was a shame because telling people riddles was a great way to pass time. Which is exactly what was happening right now.

"What starts with "P" and ends with "E" and has more than 1000 letters?" Ed asked me happily as he continued to drive towards my uncle Jim's place.

I smiled at him already knowing the answer. "Post Office."

"Correct!" Ed said cheerfully with a smile of his own. "Now, how many books can you put in an empty backpack?"

"Come on Ed, that's so easy." I said rolling my eyes in good-nature." The answer is one because after that the backpack isn't empty anymore."

"Alright, how about this one..." Ed drawled on. "What's black and white and red all over?" He asked me with a Cheshire grin this time.

"Hmmm..." I took a few more seconds on this riddle before an answer came into my mind. "An embarrassed zebra?" Was my final answer, and I waited to see if that had been the right answer.

Ed nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yes, that's right!"

"Okay, how about one more? I asked him.

Ed nodded his head as I saw how he went into his quick thinking mode. Not even five seconds later passed before he was full on giggling.

"Okay, what is the longest word in the dictionary?"

Ahhh...crap. I've heard this riddle before! But damn my blasted memory as I couldn't remember the answer to it..."Uh..." I took a few seconds, but sighed when nothing clicked in my head. "I don't know. What's the answer, Ed?"

Ed was slightly bouncing in his seat, from what I presumed was excitement.

"It's the word smiles." He told me as he quickly glanced towards me with a smile." Because there is a _mile_ between each 's' hehe, get it?"

I couldn't help but laugh as my smile grew. "Yeah, I get it. That's a pretty clever riddle, Ed."

"Yes it is. It's a very humor filled riddle as well, and humor is a very important thing to have. Don't you think, Winifred?"

"Yeah, I think humor is a important thing to have. One would be completely bland and uninteresting without it. It's best to have even the tiniest of humor, than no humor at all." I said voicing my thoughts to him. I then gave him a grateful look once the car became silent. "So, listen Ed, I just want to say thank you again for driving me to uncle's apartment."

Ed kept his brown eyes on the road, but I saw his smile. "You're welcome, Winifred."

"I just hope I didn't ruin any other plans you already had for your break." I told him rather sheepishly.

"All I really planned to do was listen to the newest episode of quizzet weekly on the radio." Ed said, with the smile still on his face. "So really, it's okay. Besides, interacting with you is so much more exhilarating."

Awww...that was sweet of him to say to that to me.

"Thanks, Ed." I said appreciating his kind words.

Ed just responded back to me with a hum like tone and I giggled in return. He was just so eccentric, but I didn't mind it one bit. Once again the car became quiet, but I was to hyped up from all those riddles that I decided to continue talking. Plus, I figured I'd ask Ed about the whole commotion that was occurring at the G.C.P.D. "So why was the station full of upheaval today anyways?"

Ed's eyes sparked with glee. "That's because of that new drug that's been circulating around Gotham."

New drug? I frowned hearing this. "What new drug? How come I haven't heard about it?" I asked him, puzzled.

"Well G.C.P.D. authorities barely discovered it today. It's called Viper, and let me tell you dear Winifred, it's quite remarkable." Ed said with awed tone. "I studied the drug thoroughly, and basically what it does is it somehow activities unused DNA from people, and because of that the body starts to burn calcium from the skeletal system as fuel. Which is why the people who take the drug crave milk and cheese. They're replacing the missing calcium...but they can't consume enough. Which of course results with them having their bones crumble, suffocating, and then dying."

My eyes widen from hearing this. "Oh, my God, that's terrible. Why would anyone want to take that drug, if in the end it'll just end up killing them?"

"Well, many people take drugs for various reasons. I'd say for this case that people are taking it because they want to feel a sense of power before they perish." Ed simply explained to me.

I cringed. "Still, I don't see the appeal of taking recreational drugs. I understand if you're prescribed to take medication by a doctor for illnesses and such, but to take non-prescribed drug and abuse them? To me that's something I could never picture myself doing."

"And you certainly shouldn't, Winifred. It's always best to say no to drugs. A person with bright mind like yours shouldn't consume drugs." Ed told me with a rather serious voice. "If you do it'll just ruin your intelligence, because drugs change the chemistry of the brain, and that's one of the many reasons why they become so addicting. The longer you use abuse any-type of drug, the more damage is done and the harder it is to go back to "normal" during the rehabilitation process."

I nodded my head. "Yeah, no wonder people who have drug addictions are so messed up."

"You know essentially in most cases drug addiction starts in early adolescents." Ed said me as he turned his car into a corner. "Although young adults who have consistently learned about the risks of drugs from their parents growing up, are actually up to fifty percent less likely to use drugs."

"Huh, really? Guess I'm glad I know about drug awareness then." I said with raised eyebrows. "That's still an interesting fact, Ed."

Ed beamed. "I know right? It's utterly more fascinating to study about drugs, than actually participating in them. After all knowledge at the end ultimately wins."

I stared at him analyzing his reactions. It amazed me by how animated he got whenever he talked about something he held strong thoughts for. I was about to say something else when all of a sudden, his car came to a stop. I glanced towards the car window and saw that we finally arrived to familiar building of my uncle's apartment.

"Is this the right building?" Ed asked me as he looked at the apartment complex.

I nodded my head as I took off my seat-beat. "Yup, it's the right building." Once I was unbuckled, I opened the car door and stepped out with my backpack. I then lowered my head towards the window and peeked back into his car.

"Thanks, Ed." I told him again with a smile. The ride had been fun and his riddles always made me feel better. Not to mention he was interesting to talk to as well.

"No problem, Winifred. Oh, do tell Detective Gordon I said hello." Ed said with twinkled filled eyes and a grin.

"Alright, I'll him you said so when he comes back from work." I responded to him with a kind smile.

I stepped away from the car window and began walking towards the apartment building in front of me. I heard the sound of a car honking and turned back to face Ed's car. I saw him energetically wave his hand in a goodbye gesture towards me. I giggled softly and I happily returned the gesture back. I then saw him drive away down the street before he turned the corner, and I watched until the car disappeared. After that I readjusted my backpack onto my shoulder and I continued making my way towards the entrance of the apartment building. Now all I had to do was wait for my uncle to arrive. Which I really hope wouldn't take as long as I thought it would.


	7. Chapter 7: How it all started

**_Disclaimer_ : **_I do not own Gotham or any of the characters. I only own my OC._

 ** _A/N:_ **_Hello guys! So who else saw the season 2 finale for Gotham?! Cause I did and Woah! Oh my gawd...now we're going to have to wait until September?! I don't think I'm going to be able to handle that long wait! Especially with the cliffhanger they gave us. I mean seriously...that's how they end it?_ _!_

 _On the upside though... **( spoiler alert!)** we at least got to hear a certain familiar laugh... ***Hehehe*** **;)** Speaking of which...someone I'm pretty sure you guys have been dying to come into the story finally makes an appearance in this chapter. **;D** I was contemplating whether or not to write this chapter so soon but the season finale really gave me inspiration and well...lets be honest we've all been waiting for the moment Winifred gets to set her eyes on this certain character. So with out further ado I present to you this very special chapter. Hope you guys like it. Cuz I know I did. **;)**_

 ***Edited 1/28/17***

* * *

 _"She looked into his eyes and saw the stars, but she didn't know they were actually comets that would eventually destroy her earth."_ _— Felix Ozera_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 7: How it all started**_

I'm glad to report that my uncle Jim did end up returning back home. Although he returned way late at night. Except that was completely understandable. Since the city of Gotham was going through quite the ringer, all thanks to that new drug Ed had informed me about.

 _Viper._

I had learned more about that hazardous drug once I was safely inside my uncle's apartment. Not that I wasn't already somewhat well versed with the drug. I knew about the consequences the drug caused if you took it. Ed had told me a lot about it during the drive to my uncle's apartment. But it wasn't until I turned on the living room television and started flipping through channels that my attention was caught by one of the news station talking about the drug. I right away could tell it was ground breaking news. Since the middle aged action news lady was speaking very seriously as she was informing viewers about what had occurred at the Wayne Enterprises charity event.

Apparently the creator of Viper _— Stan Potolsky—_ had actually been wanting to grab all of Gotham's attention with his new drug. When he realized the drug wasn't gaining the attention he was seeking, he decided to hit Gotham right where it would hurt. Which is why instead of infecting the people in the streets with the drug, he changed his tactic into harming Gotham's most elite with Viper.

Of course hearing about this mad man wanting to unleash this dangerous drug to a room full of people, made me feel absolute worry. The place he wanted to attack was at a charity event. A lot of innocent bystanders were there. So of course my worry was on high alert. Even more when I heard the news report lady announce that the young Bruce Wayne was at this event. Hearing about his appearance there didn't surprise me though. The event after all was under his last name, so of course it made sense that he would be there. It was basic social etiquette. What I didn't like though was that Bruce's life was put in danger all because of that crazy drug. Hearing about how close he was to being infected by that drug definitely made my stomach drop from apprehension.

The news lady however announced that the police had arrived there just in time. Stopping the drug from infecting everyone at that event, including Bruce.

My heart began to pace normally once I heard this. I was relieved to know that no one had gotten infected by this drug, especially Bruce. I know I barely knew him, but ever since meeting the young boy I'd come to see him like a little brother. There was just something about him that made me want to make sure he was kept safe and sound. He's just been through so much and has lost a lot. He's felt pain and loss that no boy his age should ever have to experience. It was that very same pain though, that made me want to be there for him.

As someone who could lessen the pain and sadness he was feeling and instead provide comfort for him. Even if it were only for a little while. I know in retrospect that sounded silly. To even think that I would be able to do any of that. I had to be out of my mind. _Right_? But of course my protective instincts arose in me and I reasoned that it wouldn't hurt to at least try to be that older sister figure to him. Which is why I had remind myself to ask my uncle Jim (of course when he had time) if we can pay a visit to Wayne Manor. Just to check up on Bruce and see how he was doing and such. Although, I'd imagine that he'd be quite stirred, especially with what had almost occurred at the event. Even if he was left skittish, I was just glad he was alive and unharmed.

Which is exactly how I felt when my uncle finally returned home. Like I said, he came back well into the hours of the night. I of course was still wide awake when he came back since I wasn't able to sleep. Not until I saw him in person again. Especially since I was really worried about his safety. He did after all leave with that mysterious guy back at the station. Also, not only that, but the whole Viper situation that had happened really just worsened things all around. Overall though, when he finally came back, I was left feeling major relief. And as much as I wanted to question him on about...well a lot of things...I decided against it. Because even if my uncle had no real serious injurious, I right away could tell how exhausted and frustrated. He didn't even have to say anything in order for me to understand his inter emotions. His face and blue eyes said enough. He was utterly and completely worn out. So I let all the questions that had been building up inside me, whittle down. I knew better than to bother my uncle. He needed his rest and I was for sure going to give him the peace and quiet he needed.

All of this of course had occurred a few weeks ago...

Since then a few new things have happened.

For one thing, I did actually end up asking my uncle about the whole incident of him leaving with that dangerous looking man. His answer to me though had been quick and firm. A subtle way of him telling me to not over analyze or ask that question again. I guess he thought that the less I knew the better. I on the other hand was stubborn. But instead I asked whether it was that man or this Oswald Cobblepot he had mentioned, that had anything to do with that strange text message I had received. My uncle's response to this was completely filled with resolute, and he told me with a unwavering expression that I shouldn't worry about that anymore. He then proceeded to take away my cell phone and gave me a new one with an entirely different number. This shocked me.

On the upside I got a new cellphone, but still...the fact that he had changed my number really stuck me as odd. That only meant that my uncle did figure out who had my number...and boy was he not happy about that. Maybe it was this Oswald Cobblepot character who had texted me. But still I was severely confused as to why he would of done that. Was it to use me as bait in order to get my uncle to leave with that other man? I really wanted to know, but the more I asked, the more my uncle brushed it off. He just kept telling me to not worry about it and that I shouldn't be receiving any text messages anymore. But that if I did, that I should immediately let him know.

Which I nodded and told him I would.

Although since getting this new cellphone, I haven't received any unknown texts. My inbox mostly consisted texts from my friends back in Boston. I was glad however that I was able to transfer all my contacts onto my new phone, before my uncle threw my old phone away. If I hadn't, then that would of been terrible. Since I don't know all my contacts number by memory. But luckily I was not only able to save all of my contacts, but all my photos from my old phone were saved as well.

Those photos meant a lot to me since the majority of them were of me and my mother together. Before she had gotten really ill with her schizoaffective disorder. In those photos she looked so _different_. So full of life and happiness. Because of this, I knew that I needed to keep those precious photos safe with me. So I transferred and saved them to my new cell phone and laptop as well. And although I was happy with the saved data, the reason behind getting the new phone still bothered me. Especially since my uncle wasn't willing to open up to any of the questions I had. He was too guarded.

Which meant he wasn't going to give me a serious answer anytime soon on how he was connected to this Oswald Cobblepot person. There was something about that name...even if I had no idea as to who this person was, I still got eerie vibes from that name. The same eerie vibes I got from when I met that Peter Humboldt guy... _ehhhh_. That man was one creepy fellow. I know that's a mean thing to think and heaven knows my mother would of disapproved heavily on my behavior, but it was the truth! Especially with the way he had stared at me. Almost as if I were some sort of prize he won. Totally weird. He made me feel extremely uncomfortable...just thinking about that suited man gave me the shivers.

Now even though my uncle didn't tell me anything concerning the whole incident with him leaving and the text message I had received, he did feel free to talk to me about what was going on between him and Barbara. Apparently they were working things out by _"negotiating terms."_ Whatever that means. I was just glad they weren't splitting up. I didn't want my uncle to be sad anymore.

I hated seeing my uncle in a somber like state. It always hurts to see the ones you love suffer emotionally. Believe me I should know. After all I did witness my own mother fall into a black hole of mental illness. That alone was probably one of the worst things I ever had to witness for myself. So, my uncle's happiness were indeed very important to me. I couldn't have him feeling any ounce of gloom. Unfortunately, I've come to realize that in a city like Gotham, maintaining an ounce of contentedness was going to be quite the challenge.

One of the more positive things that have occurred during these past few weeks though was that I got to finally visit Bruce. I kind of had to beg my uncle, but in the end he agreed to take me for a visit. And to say that Bruce was happy to see me, would be a total understatement.

He was plain out overjoyed to see me and I felt the same way. We ended up having tea together and lunch, that Alfred had so kindly prepared for us. My visit mostly consisted of me asking how Bruce was doing and such. Of course whenever I asked him this, he tried his best to wave off my concern. I could tell he was trying to be strong and I respected that. But I did let him know that if he ever needed someone to confide in with what he was dealing, that I was there and would only be a phone call away. This of course lead to a heartfelt hug, much like the first one he had given me when I first met him. And just like last time, I gladly returned the hug.

Visiting Bruce wasn't the only positive thing. My friendship with Jonathan was actually progressing as well. The two of us were getting along pretty well with each other. We started hanging more during lunch time in the library. Although there was still tension with some of the other classmates. Not to mention his dad still scared me... _a lot_. But other than those things, the friendship between Jonathan and I was great.

During the last past few weeks he's been opening up a little bit more. Not a whole lot, but it was still progress. Which I liked because at least some bit of communication in a friendship was important to have. I however wanted to spend time with him after school. Which is why I've been inviting him to hang for a while now, but every time I asked he got really shy and told me he couldn't. When I asked why he couldn't, all he would tell me was that he already had plans with his dad. Saying they had important business to attend to. I had no idea what this "important business" was, but I could tell he didn't look too excited about it. Which I found kind of odd, but I tried not to dwell on it. Perhaps when Jonathan felt more comfortable with me, he would tell me why that was...

Anyways, so today after school I decided to head down to Rosie's diner.

It's been awhile since I've gone to that cozy little retro fifties diner. The last time I had been there was when I spent the day with Barbara a few weeks back. So I figured why not go now. Besides, I had a massive craving for one of there bacon burgers and chocolate shakes. And I knew that my uncle wouldn't mind me going there.

In the last past few weeks, he's been more lenient with me going out and about in the city. Well only during the day time. He didn't allow me to go out into the city once night time hit. Not that I wanted to anyways. Gotham was already hard to deal with during the day, but at night time? Oh no, I in no way wanted to endure the crime that inhibited the city at night time. Heaven knows I would of been a goner the moment I set my foot outside. Which is exactly why I only ever went out during the day time.

My safety was still not one hundred percent guaranteed during the day, (this was Gotham after all) but the risk of not getting hurt was actually a lot more reasonable than during night time. Besides, I never really liked being cooped up inside a place for too long. My uncle knows this, because he knows that I'm a city girl. A city girl who was born and raised in Boston. He knows that I like going out into the city every once in a while. Which is why whenever he had time, the two of us would go out into the city and spend some time together. Unfortunately his job didn't really give him a lot of free time. So that sucked. But I suggested that I can still go out on my own. Not all the time of course, but just every once in a while. To get some air and explore the city somewhat.

I say _somewhat_ because not all of Gotham was worth exploring...not if you valued your life anyways. But despite the city's exterior dangers lurking around the corner, there was still some places in Gotham that weren't _too_ dangerous. Not to me anyways. Rosie's diner just happened to be one of those special places. Among those other places there was the Gotham Public Library, Gotham High (my school), some other small stores around the city, and a quaint public city park that was pretty close to my uncle's apartment. About a block or two. Out of all those places though, I have to say the park was the one I've most frequented. It was just peaceful and relaxing place for me to stretch. Except this park was in no way in comparison to the small park back in Boston. That park was always going to be my favorite park...ever. Gotham's park though wasn't that bad. Although it was way bigger and crowded, it still held an air of composure. Which is ironic, considering the city was quite the opposite. But like I said, there were was sometimes places here in Gotham that weren't corrupted like the rest of the city yet. You just had to keep out an eye out for them.

My uncle's protectiveness was still really high. So even if he allowed me to go into the city by myself during the day, he had me promise a few things to him. I had to carry my cellphone with me whenever I went out. Which of course I understood why. In case of an emergency or something. If I did go out, I also needed to tell my uncle about my whereabouts. And we both then agreed that I should only stick to the places that we had deemed safe to go to. Since there was still a lot of the city I wasn't well known with.

So if I decided to explore, I would have probably ended up getting lost. And something tells me, Selina _—_ or should I say Cat, wouldn't be there to help me with directions this time. So, I promised my uncle Jim that I would only go to the places we both had agreed on. And overall, that was something I really didn't mind doing. Mostly because I got to finally ride the bus more often. Sure it took some persuasion, but I finally got my uncle Jim to change his thoughts about me not riding the bus. All I had to say to change his mind, was that it benefited me more taking the bus, rather than having me walk throughout the city. He was reluctant, but he knew I had a point. So he agreed nonetheless, just until I got my license. Which I hoped to be soon.

But still, just in case there was ever an altercation of some sort, my uncle wanted me to be safe and prepared. So he provided me with some sort of reassurance. Which happened to be a bottle of pepper spray. And although I kind of laughed it off when he gave it to me, I was deeply relived to have it. Better safe than sorry right? Never know what might happen in a city like Gotham. It was just my uncle's way of telling me to be safe. Of course I knew what pepper spray was used for. It was a defense weapon. So I was going to treat it like one and only use it whenever I felt unsafe or was in a dangerous situation. Deep down though, I hoped I would never be in that type of situation. Still, I always had the pepper spray with me whenever I went out. Take now for example, just as I entered into Rosie's diner, I had the pepper spray inside my backpack. I wasn't going to take it out though, there was no need for it right now. This was a safe place after all.

Having this in mind, I let out a small smile as I made way inside the small cozy diner. It was just as how I remembered it from the last time I had been here. The fifties retro vibe stood out well, as did the waitresses wearing the skates. I noticed how the diner was only half-full, so I decided to sit in the booth that was in the far left corner. I kind of wanted some privacy since I was most likely going to sketch a little bit after I've finished eating. So I didn't want any of the customers watching me draw. Call it shyness or whatever, but when it comes to my drawing I'm very reserved. Unless of course I wanted to let people see them, but I hardly doubt any of these customers would like my drawings. Why would they? They're from an inexperienced sixteen year old girl. They'd probably seen better ones.

I hurriedly made my way through the diner, heading towards the back booth and sat down. It was rather warm inside the diner and not at all cold like it was outside. I slid off my beige coat and set it off to the side, along with my backpack. Leaving me wearing my dark purple long sleeve trapeze swing dress. Accompanied with black leggings and a pair of black flats. I still felt warm because of my long sleeve dress, but it didn't irritate me. I never really liked showing my skin anyways. That's why I preferred wearing clothes that covered me up. Hence the long sleeve dress and leggings. Not only did it give me a sense of security, but comfort as well. Besides, I liked comfortable clothing. I'm a total sucker for warm and fuzzy sweaters too.

Getting settled in the booth, I started started running my hand through my hair, trying to make it more presentable. My hair today was more wavier than usual, but that was due to the weather. It had rained earlier today and just as I entered the diner it began drizzling again. I just hope that it wouldn't be raining hard when I had to wait for the bus. Cause that would of sucked major, because I didn't even have my umbrella with me.

 _So unprepared...ugh._

I thought to myself. On the bright side, I didn't have to wait long for the waitress to take my order. She actually got to my table pretty fast, and I ended up ordering what I've been craving. A bacon burger and a large chocolate shake. And unlike the last time, the waitress this time didn't give me a surprised face when I ordered my food. Which I appreciated. It was rather annoying when I get judged by people just because of my weight. Just because I have a willow figure, doesn't mean I don't or can't eat a lot. Because I do, believe me I love to eat. I just didn't gain a lot of weight, because of how fast my metabolism worked. Sometimes I wished that I could gain a lot of weight. That I could have curves and a nice full bosom, maybe that would have stopped the comments from others. But that wasn't me. I was shaped differently, and there was nothing wrong with my body or weight. What mattered was that I was healthy. So when my food finally arrived, I ate it with pride and joy. The burger was just as delicious as the first time I had tried it. Perhaps it was slightly better. But the chocolate shake completed the entire meal.

After I finished eating, I pushed aside my plate and glass cup, and then took out my sketchbook, along with a pencil. I was starting to feel glad that I had chosen this booth. Not only did I get more privacy, but I was also right next to a window that gave me a great view of the outside. Which in return inspired me to start drawing. I was just finishing shading in one of the cities buildings, when a voice _—_ a voice that would forever change my life—spoke up.

"Whatcha' drawing?"

I let out a low gasp and out of instinct I closed my sketch book with the pencil inside. My eyes wandered towards where I heard the unfamiliar voice, and I immediately felt my cheeks warm up. There standing right in front of me was a boy. A boy who looked to be maybe a couple years older than me. He was tall and lean, but even with me sitting down I could tell he was taller than me. His hair was flaming red. Which stood out more because of how fair his skin was. His cheeks were blemished by an amount of light freckles, which I found to be very endearing. But what really made my heart skip a beat, were the color of his eyes. They were a sea green color and they were indeed _beautiful_. I found them absolutely mesmerizing to gaze at. Although his outfit was also eye catching as well. He was wearing a brown jacket, with a pair of maroon colored trousers, and a pair of brown shoes. His outfit was definitely unique, almost as if it was custom made. But I liked how it looked on him. He looked cute...really cute. In my awestruck fascination by him, I had almost forgotten the question he asked me. I steadied my breathing and tried composing my voice.

"I, was, uh drawing random stuff..." I stumbled out and I quickly wanted to face palm myself by how doltish I sounded. I right away almost expected the boy to start looking at me as if I were some blabbering fool.

To my surprise, that didn't happen. Instead the boy gave me a bashful like smile, which only caused me to blush even more. "Oh, well, can I take a look?" He asked me gesturing towards my sketch book.

My blue eyes widen in reservedness as I put my hands on top of my sketchbook. "Oh, um, well, uh..." I stammered, _again_. God, why couldn't I talk in complete sentences to him? All he had asked was if he could look at my drawing. Granted I was going to say no, but he still had asked me politely...

The boy must have taken my stammering as no because his expression became apologetic.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be intrusive or anything. It's just that well, you looked really entranced with what you were doing. It made me wonder what you were drawing. But, uh, I'll just leave you alone..." He said somewhat shyly, half turning ready to walk away.

"Wait, you don't have to..."I said automatically speaking up, stopping him. I surprised myself by how I was able to speak fully now. But I guess it was because I really didn't want him to leave yet. Besides, I felt touched by how rueful he sounded. Once I saw him looking at me again with those lovely eyes of his, I felt butterflies in my stomach and my cheeks were full on warm now. I wondered if had noticed my cheeks. I sure hoped not, that would have been embarrassing. Mostly likely though he probably did notice. I tried to push this thought out of my head as I continued on with my speaking. "I mean you don't have to apologize, really it's okay. You just surprised me that's all." I told him elaborating a bit, with a small smile of my own.

The boy perked up from hearing this. "Well then, my apologies for surprising _you_..." He said drawing on the sentence clearly waiting for me to finish it.

"Winifred." I said with a soft smile. "Winifred Gordon."

"Winifred _..._ " The boy said testing out my first name slowly. A buoyant smile appeared on his face right before he let out a musical low like chuckle. "I like that name...it's _riveting_. "

"Thank you...I guess?" I said feeling quite complimented and bemused. The latter won in this situation though because my intrigue for this boy was getting the better of me. "And you are..." I trailed on with curiousness, wondering who this winsome looking boy was.

"Well gorgeous, I'm Jerome. Jerome Valeska." He said still smiling at me.

I couldn't help but notice the way his sea green eyes seemed excited. Almost like he was eager to do something. Nonetheless, I was still quite transfixed by them. Also add to the fact that he called me _gorgeous_...which of course just made me go all mushy on the inside. I mean, no ones ever called me gorgeous before. He's the first boy to ever call me gorgeous. I felt my heart start to hammer at the realization of this.

Oh _wow_ , I barely just met this boy and now here I was already getting starry eyes for him? What in the world was wrong with me! Although I couldn't help it...there was just something about him. I don't know if it was his sense of shyness or sudden flirty demeanor, but I was enthralled by him.

I quickly composed myself and spoke up. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Jerome." I said politely, sticking out my hand for him to shake.

"Oh, believe me, the pleasure is all mine, Winifred." Jerome said with a sense of charisma. He then gently took hold of my hand and surprised me by giving it a kiss.

 _Okay_...I definitely felt my heart skip a beat this time. I pulled my hand away from him and used it to shyly tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. The bracelet my mother gave me jiggled a bit on my wrist as I did this. I however noticed the smile plastered on Jerome's face, and that right away made me feel giddiness. There was a moment of silence before I was able to shake away how awe-struck I was by him. "So...do you want to sit down?" I asked. By now my blushing had intensified like crazy.

Jerome's sea green eyes twinkled, but before he could say anything, we both heard a waitress call out a to go order. I saw how deflated Jerome got, along with his smile.

"Sorry, I gotta go that's my order." He told me, his voice lowering a bit.

"Oh..." I said feeling disappointment. "Well do you come here often?" I said, inwardly hoping he would say yes.

Jerome shrugged. "Just whenever I'm in town."

I furrowed my eyebrows and frowned, wondering what he meant by that.

Jerome saw my perplexed expression and smiled again. "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure I'll see you again."

"How are you so sure?" I asked him.

Jerome kept his charming smile. "Call it a gut instinct, I just know." The sound of the waitress calling out the order impatiently caught are attention again. I heard Jerome let out a sigh before he began making his way towards the diner's counter. I saw him grab his to go bag of food, but before he walked out the diner's front door, he looked straight at me and gave me a bashful smile and wave.

"See ya later, gorgeous."

After that he exited out the diner and throughout the window, I saw him making his way down the street. All while I remained in my seat, feeling completely awe-struck.

 _Did that really just happen?!_

 _Did a boy really call me gorgeous, not only once but twice?!_

 _Not to mention, did he kiss my hand?!_

 _Oh wow...if there was ever a moment to swoon now would be it._

 _No...wait I need to compose myself. Just breathe, Winifred. Don't overreact._

But I couldn't stop how I was feeling. I was completely enamored right now. All thanks to Jerome. But strangely I actually found some sort of amusement to all this. Just a few weeks ago Barbara had been talking to me about boys and such in this very same diner. She had even asked if I had a type. And although I don't really have a "type" red heads always did kind of catch my attention. And what do you know...I met a red head, who made my cheeks turn red as his hair! Was this some kind of sign or something?

No, it just had to have been sheer randomness. Besides, I knew nothing about being with a boy. Sure I had guy friends back in Boston, and then there was Jonathan here in Gotham, but they were just friends. I have no idea on how to date a boy. I was totally inexperienced in that category! I shouldn't even be worrying about all this...Jerome was just a boy who I had met suddenly at a diner, that's all. Sure he made blush and my stomach go into twirls...but that was it. There was no way I was going to see him again, despite him saying that we would. Deep down though, I hoped that I would run into him again. That I would be able to stare into his lovely sea green eyes again. Like I said before, there was just something about that boy. I don't know what exactly...but I definitely wanted to find out.

If only I had known, that this was how it all started. That it was this very same boy, with the flaming red hair and sea green eyes, that would eventually not only end up causing the most destruction in Gotham, but within my own heart as well...

* * *

 ** _A/N:_ **_So yeah that just happened... **Winifred** finally met **Jerome**! **;)** Ohhhh boyyyyy. Let the mayhem begin. Don't worry, they'll run into each other again soon. Just like **Jerome** said. (; _


	8. Chapter 8: A surprise call

**_Disclaimer_ :** _I do not own Gotham or any of the characters. I only own my OC._

 ** _A/N:_ **_It's always fun to write Gotham fanfic, when listening to the 1989 Batman theme song. ^_^_

* * *

 _"Life is not always perfect. Like a road, it has many bends, ups and down, but that's its beauty."_ _―_ _Amit Ray_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 8: A surprise call**_

Much to my disappointment, I hadn't cross paths with Jerome again. Not after meeting him at the diner a few days ago anyways. Since that fateful day, I've been visiting the diner more frequently after school. Inwardly secretly hoping I would get to see him again. But sadly each time I went to the diner, the red haired boy was nowhere in sight.

Which was a _total_ let down for me.

Not that I would say that out loud or anything. But at least to _myself,_ I could honestly admit, it was a complete bummer that I hadn't been able to talk to him again. I just really wanted to catch a glimpse of him, his red hair, and his mesmerizing eyes...but sadly that hadn't been the case. Perhaps he just wasn't in town at the moment. He did after all say to me that he visits the diner whenever he was in town. So, I guess then that left me with the impending question of...

 _When was he coming back to town?_

And although I had no flipping' clue when exactly he'll return or when I would see him again _._ I still hoped that it would be _soon_.

This aspiration and giddy feeling I was having towards Jerome though stayed well impacted with me. Even as I _tried_ going on and about with another regular day at school. I say _tried_ because overall the whole school situation at Gotham high was bitter sweet.

You see me and Jonathan were getting along better now. He was opening up a bit more and we were actually becoming the best of buds. The foreboding he had at the beginning from me befriending him, was also graduating less and less as well. Now what made my whole school experience bitter sweet though, was the fact that the two of us still faced unpleasant attention from the other classmates. Well actually to more precise we only got ridiculed by that neanderthal bully named _Josh_ and his lame posse. The very same Josh who had beaten up Jonathan a while back. And the very same bully I had thrown a slice of pie at. Which I did not regret doing.. _not one bit._ It did after all stop the inflicting pain he was causing Jonathan. Also not to mention, me throwing pie at that neanderthal's face was quite the amusing sight. Plus, since then neither Josh or his group of friends hadn't done any physical harm to Jonathan. I wondered why that was and it wasn't until Jonathan fully explained the sudden stop on his beatings from them, that I finally understood.

Apparently Josh and his " _posse_ " recognized my last name. They figured out that I was related back to Detective James Gordon. The very same James Gordon who helped solve the Wayne murder. So, they obviously didn't want to physically harm me, because they knew better than to hurt a detective's relative. Sure they might have tried that lame excuse of " _you're lucky you're a girl_ " crap, but I knew the _real_ truth. They just didn't harm me because they weren't stupid enough to get on a G.C.P.D Detective's bad side. And since Jonathan always spent time with me now, he was also extracted from their severe bullying. I was kind of like his shield. Not that I minded, I liked that I was able to give him some sort of protection.

I say some _sort,_ because although Josh and his posse didn't bully us _physically_ , they did continue to taunt us rather verbally. They try to be slick about it and play it cool. Acting all innocent and stuff, but Jonathan and I weren't dumb to not notice their tactics. And although we both still tried our best to ignore their mean comments, sometimes the insults were just too hard to throw away, and they got underneath our skin.

More than once, I've talked to Jonathan that maybe we should tell a teacher or even his father about this, but he heavily declined. Especially when I mentioned his father. Not that I blamed him. His dad was rather scary to talk to. At least to me anyways. I guess the reason as to why Jonathan didn't want to tell, was because maybe he was embarrassed or something. Either why, as much as I wanted to let _someone_ on the school faculty know about the bullying situation going on, at the same time I didn't want to be a damn tattle tell either. I also didn't want to cause any damage to the on growing friendship between Jonathan and I. So, I decided to just keep everything on the down low. Besides, Jonathan and I were more than capable to handle things on our own. And since neither of the two of us _―_ specifically Jonathan _―_ were getting harmed physically, I'd have to say that the bullying at the moment was somewhat... _tolerable_.

Take today for example.

The teasing today from Josh and his group of troublemakers was down to a minimum. _Surprisingly_. Less than usual, with only a few name calls and deride laughs thrown our way. You see usually we'd have to deal with their nonsense chatter during passing periods, when we'd run into them in the halls. Not so much during our break or lunch though, but that was because Jonathan and I spent that time in the library. The library was some sort of bully repellent and it became a safe zone for us. Unfortunately, we couldn't hang out in library at all times. So coming face to face with those bullies was just unavoidable. Either way though Jonathan and I had each others backs. So it was nothing we couldn't handle. But like I said, today has been an easy going day. For the most part anyways.

Fortunately, we didn't have to deal with the bullies for the rest of the day, because school ended a few minutes ago. And I was now making my way towards the library. The reason why, was because I had agreed to meet up with Jonathan there so we could discuss our biology project together. Since today in Biology class we gotten assigned projects by Mr. Crane. The down side was that Mr. Crane didn't give the class specific information on what he wanted it to be on. He said he wanted our creative minds to come with something _"thought-provoking"_. And although that was supposed to sound accommodating for us, coming from Mr. Crane, it sounded more creepy than encouraging. Plus that just meant that students needed to come up with their own idea for the project. So we had to figure that out by ourselves, or work with groups of two, in order to decide what topic the project will be about. Much to my joy though, Jonathan had agreed to be my partner for the project. At first when I asked him, I for sure thought he was going to say no to me, but instead surprisingly he said yes. Nonetheless, I was glad he did so.

And my happiness was still intact with me, even as I walked through the school halls leading to the library. I saw how there were still some students in the hallway. A few of them were chattering away with their friends, while the others were taking out stuff from their school lockers. My attention from this was soon diverted onto something else. I stopped in the hallway, facing the bulletin board that was on the wall. And right in the middle of the bulletin board was a cheerleading poster. More specifically, it was a cheerleading poster that said...

 _Junior cheerleading tryouts are coming up soon! Come and try out! The school needs extra spirit! So why not you?_

I couldn't help but smile when I read this.

Although I did quit cheerleading at my old school, ( on account of my mother being sick and me having to keep an eye on her) but this now seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to get back in the game. Besides, I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss participating in cheer. I actually missed it... _a lot_.

So with this in mind, I continued on with my destination _―_ the library.

Once I arrived there, I immediately saw how the librarian was rearranging some books on the shelves. There was also a few other students lingering around reading or using the library's computers. I let my blue eyes wander around the room until they landed onto the person I was looking for.

 _Jonathan_.

He was sitting at the table that was farthest from the front check out desk. From the entrance I could see him scribbling on some paper, along with a few books that were scattered around the table.

I felt my lips forming into a smile again because of how studious he looked right now. Then again, since meeting him, he always seemed donnish to me. The rest of our classmates might have not known this, but Jonathan happened to be very intelligent for his age. Maybe it had to do with his father being the Biology teacher at school, or maybe he was just naturally smart- either way, I respected him. The same way I respected Ed, with how factual he was. Although, Ed was more eccentric with all the knowledge he had _―_ with him asking riddles _―_ while Jonathan wasn't like that. He was rather reversed when it came to his own intellect, especially towards others. Well that is, except for me. With all the time I'd spent with him, it made him more open with me. And that made me feel special. So with a full on smile on my face, I began making my way towards the table he was at.

"Hey, Jonathan." I said as I took a seat right across from him.

Jonathan, who had been previous writing, stopped and looked up towards me. "Hi, Winifred." He said offering a small bashful smile.

"So..." I drawled on as I started taking out my notebook and pencil from my backpack. "You ready to start working on this awesome project." My voice held a tone of exaggerated zest, but the placidness could be detect as well.

Jonathan's smile grew a bit and his blue eyes flickered with slight amusement. "So ready." He replied back to me.

About thirty minutes passed after that, with each of us inputting ideas for what our project was going to be about. Unfortunately, the ideas we both mentioned to each other, either didn't really intrigue us or they seemed way to simple. And simple something that Jonathan did not want our project to be. I guess he felt that he needed to be extra distinguished. I can completely understand why though...is dad was the teacher after all.

"What about changing the color within flowers?" I suddenly said to him as I tapped my pencil on my notebook. This caught his immediate attention and he looked at me with interest. I instantly stopped my tapping and instead concentrated on my proposed idea. "It's when we place a flower in a glass filled with water and colored ink. We leave the flower in there and then after a while we start to see the flower's petals, ribs and veins change color based on the colored ink that was added in the water." I said to him as I explained in excitement.. "You see normally we give water to plants in order to keep them alive. Cause plants have a tube system called xylem that distributes water and some nutrients to all parts of the plant. So using the colored water, actually allows us to see this tube system." I finally finish talking. I felt proud that I was able to explain all that with no mess ups.

Jonathan looked impressed and even a little shocked. Almost as if he weren't expecting not me to say all that. He blinked a couple times, and it looked as if he were thoroughly analyzing everything I had just said.

At this I shrugged my shoulders, feeling sheepish by his reaction. " _What_? I like flowers. Besides, I remember reading about that a long time a go. It just kind of stuck with me."

Jonathan released another smile. "Well that's a interesting idea." He said to me before his smile faltered and he sighed. "But as colorful as it sounds, I still think it's too easy for us to do."

I felt disappointed by this and I frowned slightly. Nonetheless I wanted to know what he had in mind for our project.

"Okay...well then what's your idea?" I asked since it was now his turn to suggest something.

"Well I was writing down the specifics before you came...but I'm finally ready to share it now." Jonathan announced with a proud smile.

This immediately had me completely intrigued.

"Saving the best idea for last, huh? Okay well what is it?" I asked eagerly. The suspense was killing me from the inside.

There was a moment of dramatic like silence before Jonathan spoke up _―_ his expression held complete content.

"Improving your memory." He finally said to me.

As soon as I heard this, my curiosity got the better of me.

"What exactly would that entail?" I asked him.

"It would entail us explaining to everyone that memory retention can actually be improved by reading words out loud, rather than just looking at words mentally." Jonathan accurately said to me."In the end it's suppose to show that students who are more involved in classrooms discussions, learn and retain more information, as compared to passive and non-participating peers."

"And by passive and non-participating peers, you mean jerk faces like Josh." I said jokingly, cracking a tight smile.

Jonathan let out a low chuckle. "Yeah, exactly. Except he's not in our biology class."

"Yeah, well he would have been the perfect passive classmate to test our project on. Might have finally proven that he is indeed a neanderthal."

"You know contrary to belief, neanderthals were actually a lot smarter than people give them credit for." Jonathan said evenly to me.

I huffed, letting out a low laugh, enjoying his factual statement. "I know that, but his large size of awfulness, takes away any ounce of intellect he might have."

Jonathan nodded and his expression became carefree for a bit. "That's true." He said to me before composing himself. "Anyways, don't worry about testing out our project. We have the rest of the biology class. I'm sure we'll get some volunteers to help us out." Jonathan said reassuringly to me.

"Yeah hopefully." I said to him. I then narrowed my eye at him in curiousness. "How'd you come up with this idea anyways?"

"I've actually had this idea in my head for a while now." Jonathan admitted to me sheepishly. "It just seems like the perfect time to try it out now. Since improving memories examines thoughts, feelings, and behaviors from a biological and physical point of view." He said to me. "It's also relevant to the study of psychology in three different ways. Comparative method, physiology, and the investigation of inheritance. So my case in point is that each of these biological aspects, help explain human behavior _―_ also known as psychology. "

" _Ahh_ , so you managed to include psychology into our biology project." I giggled a little. "That is quite impressive... _Dr. Crane_." I said emphasizing the last bit to him. This was something I always tended to call him. It was full of affection though. Since I knew about his dream of becoming a psychologist.

I saw Jonathan's cheeks flame up a bit due to my comment. "Thanks..." He said softly to me.

"Anyways, now that we've established what our project is going to be about...I have other _major_ news to share!" I announced to him excitedly.

There was a brief pause because the librarian sent us a warning look that said, _be quiet!_ I quickly mumbled a _Sorry_ , before diverting my attention back towards Jonathan. I right way noticed though how Jonathan was trying to stifle in a laugh.

"So what's this _major_ news you have?" He asked in a low voice, as he tried to not attract the attention from the librarian again.

I wanted to jump in the seat due to my keenness, but I managed to compose myself. "I saw a poster in the hallway for Junior cheerleading tryouts." I said with a delighted expression. "And guess what? There coming up soon, and I'm for sure going to try out." I said to him as I raised my hand up. "High-five to that. Am I right?" I was taken back a bit when he didn't right away return my high-five. Nonetheless, I still tried to keep a sanguine demeanor. "Come on, why aren't you high-fiving? This is _totally_ high-five material."

Jonathan's expression seemed tense. " _Cheerleading_?" He whispered in what appeared to be shock to me. "You want to try out for cheerleading, really?"

By now I realized he wasn't going to return my long waited high-five, so I set my hand down. I furrowed my eyebrows at him. "Uh, yeah. I use to cheer at my old school. So I figured why not here, you know?"

" _Winifred_..." Jonathan drawled in uneasiness. "You do know who's in cheerleading, right?" He asked me.

I frowned at this. Was this supposed to be some odd question or something? "Umm, other girls?" I ended up answering, shrugging my shoulders.

Jonathan let out a aghast sigh.

"Yeah other girls...and one of them happens to be _Josh's_ girlfriend, Sherry."

I faltered back by this revelation.

"Sherry?" I repeated back in disbelief, before everything clicked. My eyes widen. "You mean the girl with the long brown hair, who's always hanging out with him?"

"Yeah, you might have not known her name until now, but that's her..." Jonathan said lowly. "You've mentioned her a couple times before. She's the one who gives you the evil eye whenever you're around her. She also happens to be the _head_ cheerleader."

"Oh crap..." I muttered. Now I finally understood his reaction to all of this.

 _Well that sucks..._ I said to myself.

I tried to think optimistically though and perked up. "Okay, even if she's head cheerleader, that doesn't automatically give her the right to not give me the chance to try out." I responded back in a hopeful voice.

"While that might be true, that still doesn't mean she's going to be taking things easy on you." Jonathan told me in a sorrow filled voice. "She's probably going to turn the whole squad against you, before they even get the chance to know the _real_ you." His blue eyes stared onto my own in complete concern. "I just don't want you to get hurt or embarrassed."

I mentally a _wwwed_ in my head.

He really was sweet...

I reached for his hand that was across from me and took a hold of it. "That's nice of you to say that, but I'll be fine. Really..." I said to him, as I gave his hand a squeeze before slowly letting go.

I noticed Jonathan's cheeks turn red again. "I-uh-just wanted to let you know before..." He stuttered out before he managed to compose himself. His cheeks were cooling off a bit now. "Just don't underestimate Sherry, she maybe pretty, but she's still a unimpeachable force to be around."

I know that he was being serious with his warning and all, but I couldn't help but find the the humor in all this. So I tried to lessening the tension with me giving him a rib-like smile. "Oh, so you think she's pretty, huh?" I asked teasingly. "I didn't know you like her."

Jonathan scrunched up his face, as if appalled that I just said that. "No, I don't." He whispered out stridently. He then shifted in his seat, as he managed to catch the librarian's strict stare again. The both of us once again sent her a apologizing face. We then waited until she looked away from us before we continued on with our conversation, with Jonathan taking a deep breath, composing himself. "No, I do _not_ like her." He said earnestly. "She's _mean_ and I don't like mean girls. Besides, she's not at all my type."

"Okay..." I said to him softly. "You know I was joking, right? I mean, I don't actually think you like her." I told him and I saw how he nodded his head at me. I managed to conjure up a small smile. "But in all seriousness, what kind of girls _do_ you like?" I asked him, full on curious.

"I-I don't know..." Jonathan said nervously as he ran a hand through his shaggy brown hair. "I've never dated before..." He said sounding embarrassed. "But, uh, I like nice girls." He said sheepishly.

"Well, I'm sure you're going to find a nice girl." I said giving him a smile. "Who knows, maybe that perfect girl is a lot closer than you think." I said offering him friend-like advice.

Jonathan who had been averting his eyes, finally steadied his gaze onto me. "Yeah..." He whispered, as his expression soften and his cheeks were turning a shade of red again. "Maybe she is."

* * *

About an hour later, after Jonathan and I were now leaving the library. I asked If I could maybe walk him towards the entrance, but he hurriedly said he had to meet up with his dad, and he left without another word. Once again I found this incredibly odd, but let it go and continued on with my way towards the front for myself. Anyways, during our time in the library, after we finished talking about me joining cheer and such, we proceeded to concentrate on filling up the details for our project instead. Although, the flustered state Jonathan was in for the remaining of the time, was quite noticeable. I concluded that it had to do with him still worrying over the fact that I was going to try out for cheer. But like I told him before...I'd be fine. I wasn't going to be frighten, especially not by some mean girl. Growing up, my mother respectively taught me how to hold my ground, and that's exactly what I was going to do, in case this Sherry girl wanted to mess with me or something.

It was still nice that Jonathan had been ( or actually still is) concerned. It showed me that he really is a caring friend towards me. And talking to him about how he wants to be with a nice girl, really warms my heart up. I just hope he'd be able to find that special girl soon. Who knows though...like I said to him, maybe that nice girl is a whole lot closer to him than he actually thinks. I mean, not all the girls at Gotham High were mean. I'd met a few girls that were actually very nice to me. So I'm sure sooner or later he'd find someone.

Kind of like how I want to find someone...or more specifically, on how I want to _bump_ into someone again.

A red haired, sea green color eye, someone...

I quickly shook my head as I made my way out of the front entrance of the school.

I really needed to stop being so foolish with my thoughts about Jerome. I was just being so silly right now, with this whole crush thing.

I faltered in my steps. Wait what?

 _Crush?_

When did these giddy feelings I was having towards Jerome, turn into a full on crush?

That was just absurd! I barely met the boy, and now here I was crushing on him? Man, I really needed to get my feelings together. _Gosh_.

My inner battle with my feelings was soon interrupted as soon as I felt my phone vibrate in the coat I was wearing. Grateful for the momentary distraction, I pulled out my cellphone, and answered with out looking at the ID.

"Hello?" I said into the phone, as I loosened the red scarf that was around my neck.

" _Winifred, oh thank God you answered!"_

I let go of my scarf and furrowed my eyebrows in bemusement. "Barbara?" I said into the phone, bewildered. I was actually surprised that she was calling me right now. "Uh, what's up?" I asked trying to sound amiable.

 _"Where are you right now?"_ She asked me anxiously. I could hear that her voice held panic of some sorts.

"I'm still at school, but I'm leaving now. Why _―_ "

 _"Don't leave, okay? Stay inside. I'm on my way to pick you up now."_

She said all this in such a hurry, that I couldn't help but feel a heavy amount of distress go through me.

"Why? What's going on?" I asked in unease as I felt my heartbeat pick up.

I heard Barbara release an aghast sigh.

 _"It's your uncle Jim..."_

She said in a shaky voice.

I could have sworn I felt my heart stop from hearing this.

"What do you mean? Is he okay?" I asked in trepidation. I felt the inquietude within me surface to the top when she didn't answer right away. "Barbara, is my uncle Jim _okay?!"_ I shouted into the cellphone, wanting to catch her attention.

" _Winifred..."_

She drawled on with so much disquietude, that I could practically imagine the dejected expression set on her face. But for the life of me, I was not at all expecting the news she was about to tell me.

 _"He's been arrested."_

* * *

 ** _A/N:_ **_Dun Dun Dun...and the plot thickens xD_

 _Oh, btw, I liked this chapter. I just love the scenes between **Winifred** and **Jonathan**...those two are just so cute together ^_^ **Jonathan** being so worried about **Winifred** getting hurt or embarrassed with the whole cheerleading thing and him being all flustered around **Winifred**. And her being is so oblivious as for the reason why is so funny. I guess she only has one boy in mind. xD _

_Anyways, the next chapter should be quite interesting... (:_

 _You guys should have a guess as to why..._


	9. Chapter 9: Some humans can be monsters

**_Disclaimer_ : **_I do not own Gotham or any of the characters. I only own my OC._

 _ **A/N:** Guess whose back... **:D** Sorry for the hold up guys! But I've been trying to focus on school and with my other stories as well. I know I've been lacking and I'm sorry for that. It's just that sometimes the chaos of life gets the better of me. Just know I haven't forgotten about any of them, including Gotham's Light. Since we are on the topic of Gotham, have you guys been watching season three so far? Cuz let me tell if you it's good! Omg Mad Hatter is in it! **Jervis Tetch**. He's quickly becoming one of my fave characters now. He's so unstable and borderline creepy, (with the whole Alice-Sister infatuation thing) but I'm still captivated with his character that I want to see more of him! I really can't wait till I'm in season three with the story. I am looking forward towards the scenes Winifred is going to have with him **^_^** . Now let's move on with the story...hope you guys like it... because I sure did. **(:**_

 _ **P.S.** I found a song that's perfect for **Winifred** and **Jerome.** It's called, **Sea of love** , it's originally done by **Phil Phillips** , but there's so many covers out there. Honestly it's a beautiful song and I feel that once you listen to the lyrics carefully you'll in a way be reminded of **Winifred** and **Jerome's** upcoming enthralling relationship._

 ***Warning*** _Mentions of abuse within this chapter. I know this might not be a big deal to some, but it's still a fair warning in case that bothers anyone._

* * *

 _"Monsters exist, but they are too few in number to be truly dangerous. More dangerous are the common men, the functionaries ready to believe and to act without asking questions." ― Primo Levi_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 9: Some humans can be monsters**_

 _He's been arrested..._

 _He's been arrested..._

 _He's been arrested..._

"What?" I responded lowly back to Barbara in shock. My voice trembled with emotion. I tried to keep calm, but it didn't necessarily work. Since that darn ludicrous sentence she told me kept replaying in my head _over_ and _over_ again. Like a damn broken record player.

 _He's been arrested..._

 _He's been arrested..._

 _He's been arrested..._

I took a deep breath in hopes that it would relax me a little, but it didn't. I was still in absolute shock. My uncle Jim has been _...arrested?_ How.. _._ why...when?! How was that even possible? He's a detective for crying out loud! This time when I spoke up I managed to pull myself together.

"What? Why? Does it have to do with the goat murder case?" I asked completely bemused. From what I remember about that specific case, was that it had to do with some copy cat killer murdering Gotham's most wealthiest first born children. This mass hysteria had been going for the past days and it honestly had me worried for those children's safety. Especially since Bruce fit the description of becoming a victim. And the last thing I wanted was for him to endure any actions caused by this lunatic known as the _Goat Killer_. Even the name was alarming. Except I was reassured by my uncle that they already comprehended someone for that crime. Had something gone horribly wrong though that it led to my uncle's arrest?

" _No_." Barbara answered somberly through the phone. _"It doesn't have to do with any of that."_

"Well then why was he _arrested_?" I asked again, more curtly this time. I couldn't help it. I was _worried_.

 _"Look I can't explain it you over the phone, just please go wait inside the school. I'm already on my way, okay?"_

She asked me, or should I say _begged_ for me to do. I could tell by her voice that she was indeed in a hurry, and I could practically feel her own distress. It was growing. And let me tell you, her distress mixed with mine did not accumulate well. Not to mention it wasn't going to help me calm down. But here was the thing. I had to calm down. And this time for real. If I didn't I'd probably cause a scene due to my anxiousness and that would have for sure gained attention from others. Sure I might have been on school grounds, but this was Gotham...and something deep down told me not to make a scene right now. So I closed my eyes and once again took a deep breath. I counted backwards from ten to one and let myself relax.

 _Inhale...Exhale...Inhale...Exhale..._

I told myself this over and over again, while I distantly kept hearing Barbara on the phone trying to get my attention by asking me if I was alright. No doubt my silence was probably freaking her out. Another ten seconds passed before I opened my eyes. My vision was a little blurry at first, due to how hard I was pressing my eyelids together, before everything became clear.

"Okay, I'll wait for you inside." I responded back to her. My voice steady. This time sounding way put together and I was even feeling it. But I knew it wouldn't last long. Barbara needed to get here _fast_. I needed to know what exactly was going on...

Barbara said something along the lines of _"be there soon"_ before hanging up the phone. After that I furtively made my way back inside the school. Not at all wanting to attract attention anyone else. Luckily the school was empty and I quickly sat down on the schools stairs as I restlessly waited for Barbara.

Anticipation and worry practically consuming me...

* * *

Not even five minutes passed before Barbara finally arrived to the school to pick me up. This gave me a relief, but I still startled by how fast she got here. She must have been speeding through mid-day Gotham traffic like a mad woman. Nonetheless, I was just glad she made it because the apprehension inside me was building up like crazy.

What I wasn't glad about and what ticked me off, was the fact that Barbara refused to explain anything to me during the entire ride towards her place. Which was incredibly exasperating, because I wanted know what exactly was going. But more than anything I wanted to see my uncle Jim. At least talk or get in contact with him. Even if he had been arrested, surely there still might have been someway for me to speak with him. Or at least talk to somebody at the G.C.P.D. like detective Bullock. He might have been able to do that for me. He was his partner or crying out loud! Or maybe even Ed might have been able to give me more information. He definitely would have given me more reassurance towards my uncle's arrest than Barbara was, because she wasn't explaining _anything_ to me.

It wasn't until when we arrived her place that I spoke up. I had to hold in the displeasure I was feeling throughout the car ride as she kept dodging my questions, ultimately saying she'll explain everything to me soon enough. She was doing the same thing that my uncle would do to me whenever I asked questions that he found to be " _unsuitable_." But enough was _enough_. So once we were inside her apartment I let my vexation become abundantly clear.

"Barbara, I need to know what the _hell_ is going on." I vehemently told her as I crossed my arms over my chest. I then harden and narrowed my eyes at her. "I need actual valid answers, _now_."

Barbara turned to face me and I saw the slight shocked expression she had on. No doubt it was because of my swearing. You see I hardly cuss. Sure I thought the words in my head, or I've let a swear word out once in a while, but it was rare for me to actually do so. And since I've come to meet Barbara, I've been pretty much well mannered towards her. So to have me speaking to her in such a resolute way, with me using a cuss word, definitely would have thrown her back a bit. But she needed to know how serious I was right now. And she needed to see how protective I was when it came to my uncle Jim. She might have been his fiancee, but I was his _family_. His well-being _always_ came first to me.

"Why was he arrested?" I asked again, this time trying to be soft with my voice. I had to remind myself that being angry wouldn't help. I couldn't let my emotions get the better of me. Not right now.

Barbara sighed and I saw how her eyes flashed with something poignant. She steady her gaze on me and then walked a bit towards where I was standing.

" _Winifred_..." She said drawling my name, finally speaking. Her tone of voice was earnest. She sounded tired and strained. "Jim, was arrested because he was accused of murder."

My arms fell from my chest and panic set within me as soon I heard the word murder.

 _Murder?!_

"No..." I immediately protested shaking my head. My uncle Jim did not murder anybody. He _couldn't_! He wasn't like that. True he went to battle, but that was _different_. He's a _good_ man. An _honest_ one! He isn't capable of murder. This had to be a mistake. A huge dire mistake. "That's not right." I said voicing my opinions ardently. "He couldn't...this is a mistake! Barbara he's not a _murderer_!"

"I know, Winifred, but there's evidence pointing back to him." Barbara said to me, but she quickly shook her head. "It's a distorted accusation though, because he didn't _kill_ anyone. He just made it look like he did."

" _What_? That doesn't make any sense!" I said exasperated, raising my hands up before I put them to my sides. "Why would he need to make it look like he killed someone? "

Barbara let out a huff. "Because...because Winifred...it's complicated, alright? Just know he didn't actually kill anyone. He ended up faking the murder." She said to me before lowering her voice. "Look James is a good man." She looked dejected as she said this "To this point, I think he might even be the only one in Gotham."

Her voice might have been low but I could still hear the honesty coming from it. There was a moment of solemn silence between us as we stared at each other. I blinked several times and took a deep breath before I finally asked the question that was boggling my mind.

"Who...who was it?" I asked her as I tried steadying my voice. I saw her tilt her head at me before I elaborated the question better. "The person he pretended to kill...who was it?"

I saw Barbara's expression and it looked like she was heavily contemplating her response to me. But just as she was about to say something, a hard knock at her front door startled the both of us.

Both of our expression became bemused by this. Who could be knocking right now? It couldn't have been my uncle...he was under arrest. But what if he was let out? What if the police figured out he was innocent. Sure it was a big what if, but it was small hope that I held onto. Barbara must have been thinking the same thing as me because she hurriedly went to answer the front door. I stayed where I was at, which was closer towards the living room area as I calmed my self even more. I kept telling myself that maybe it was my uncle and that I was about to see him. But of course, I was _wrong_...

Because it was the sound of Barbara letting out a frighten gasp that put me on my toes. She wouldn't respond like that if it were my uncle. Not unless he was hurt or something...with this thought in my head though I made my way towards where she was at. I quickly came to a stop when I saw the unnerving scene right in front of me.

There were two men inside Barbara's apartment. They had shut the front door behind them, locking us in. One of them was bigger than the other one. Except they were both dressed in well off clothing. What made my blue eyes widen and blood run cold, was the fact that they were carrying _guns_. Oh God...

 _Not good...I need to do something and fast. But what?!_

The immediate thought to call for help crossed my mind. But my cellphone was inside my backpack. I inwardly scolded myself. That's what I get for wearing dresses. _Ugh!_ And it wasn't like I could use my pepper spray either, because in there as well. I couldn't make a break for it because the two men were blocking the door. Plus they had guns and the mere thought about being near a gun intensified my fear. Besides, I wasn't about to leave Barbara by herself either. I had to face the sad truth. Barbara and I were utterly _defenseless_.

I looked towards Barbara real quickly and I saw how she was also frozen with fear. She was staring at the gun with wide eyes. I gazed back towards the two men who intruded her apartment and that's when I made eye contact with the big one. He must have not seen me when I first came in but he did now. He gave a firm nod to his partner and the two of them came closer to Barbara and I. The two of us, not wanting to be near them or their guns were backed into the living room portion. Once when we were in there the man with the burly body size spoke up.

"Have a seat." He told Barbara and I firmly.

I wasn't about to protest to this. Mostly because of the guns they had pointed at me and Barbara. A clear threat to us that said that if we did anything funny we'd surely be shot dead. And the thought about being shot made my breathing go heavy. Barbara, who was sitting next to me on the couch was also looking quite panicked. More so than me. I tried my best to remain tranquil, I really did. But the sight of those guns pointed at us made it hard to appear unruffled.

"So where is he?" I heard one of the men ask us. It was the burly shaped one. He was walking around the living, pretending to pay attention to the furniture.

I already knew right away he meant with that question. I side glanced at Barbara and saw how she gave me a quick peek before managing to look at the man.

"Who?" She replied with a shaken voice.

I peeked towards the bigger size man and saw how he rolled his eyes. But it was his partner who spoke up this time.

"You know _exactly_ who." He said in a hard voice. "Now where is he?" He asked, rather impatiently.

"G.C.P.D." Was all that Barbara said to him.

"Now see that's a lie because he's not there. Apparently he got released." The bigger man said taking charge again. "And if anybody would know where he was at it would be you or mini _blondie_ here." He said pointing the gun towards me. I wanted to scowl at him for calling me blondie. Mini blondie of all things. It was ridiculous, but I actually preferred when Selina called me that. At least when she said it sounded decent. But not from this man. He was vulgar. To say the least. But I had to remind myself not to do anything rash. He did after all have a gun. I gulped as soon as I remembered the weapon he had. I tried to control my breathing, but he must have noticed my distress because he chuckled lowly as if this were some game.

All of a sudden Barbara's cellphone, that she had left on the coffee table began vibrating. I didn't need to look at the caller ID to know who was calling. But me and Barbara still looked at it as if it were our life line or something.

Through my peripheral vision I saw the big size man go behind the couch. Away from where we can see him. The other one stayed right in front of us with his gun in hand.

"Wow!" I heard the man behind us exclaim in fake excitement. "What a place, huh?"

I could tell he was being sarcastic to some point, but his tone of voice sickened me. He once again came forward but this time sat next to Barbara. He laid his gun next him on the couch.

"A beautiful home, for a beautiful lady." He sneered as he leaned towards Barbara. This put me in high alert. More than I already was. I didn't like the way he was looking at Barbara. Suggestively...and I could tell it was freaking out Barbara as well. I know I'm a pacifist and all, but if there was ever a time I wanted to punch somebody, it was right now. Because if there was one thing I hated, it was when men eyed women as if they were eye candy. It was disgusting and highly disrespectful.

I felt Barbara sitting beside me begin to shake a little towards his advances. "Please tell me what you want." She whimpered.

"We've already told you what we want." The man said shrugging his shoulders. "But I guess there's no harm in the truth. See your boyfriend was suppose to kill a certain person for somebody, only he didn't. And now that person is real mad."

Barbara let out a aghast breath. "Cobblepot..." She whispered and that's when everything clicked to me.

 _I knew it!_

I knew that name held a significant meaning! Since it was the last name of that man that was mentioned by my uncle Jim several times now. So it was because of this Cobblepot person that had my uncle Jim in this giant mess? God, who exactly was this man. _A nuisance for my uncle Jim apparently..._

The man pretended he didn't hear Barbara and I saw how he did a exaggerated, _huh_? Making Barbara speak up again and that's when we both jumped due to him slamming his hand on the couch.

"There you go! You're hip! You are hip. That Jim Gordon is one lucky son of a gun." He told her smiling tightly. This once again unnerved me. "What are you like a hundred pounds...one ten?" He unbuttoned a few of his top buttons and leaned even more closer towards Barbara. " _Mm_ , I bet that's your real hair color too." He eyed her more. "You ever been with a criminal? Some ladies find it a turn on."

That was the _last_ straw. I didn't care that they had guns on us. With all my courage, I mustered up the guts to pull Barbara away and gave him the coldest stare I could. This of course only made him and his partner laugh. But I didn't care, I needed to do something to get Barbara way from this _creep_ and his advances.

All of a sudden I heard a gun cock and I looked over towards the living room entrance. Relief went through me like a wave as soon as I saw my dear uncle Jim. He was here! And he was fine! _Thank the heavens!_ The relief I had left as soon as I remembered the situation we were in. Also add to the fact that my uncle could be shot! Not good at all...

"Jim!" Barbara cried out. I however remained quiet and kept a comforting touch on her. Even despite the situation, and with me wanting to fully freak out. I didn't.

"Hey! Speak of the devil, I was just getting to know your lady and your _lovely_ niece here." The man who was on the couch said as he got up.

"You're trespassing." My uncle said gruffly as he made his way closer towards us. His gun pointed towards the men. He was in his detective mode and despite the danger we were in, I was fascinated by how he was acting. Never had I ever seen him during his cases. And I have to say, it sure was something else.

"Get out." My uncle said harshly.

"Whoa, slow down, haas." The man said nonchalantly. "You're misreading the situation here. I'm the shot caller here."

My uncle did not falter from his position.

"The situation is you've been told to bring me in alive, or I'd be dead already, but I'm happy to kill you right here and now." He told the two men with a tone of voice stating that he was _dead_ serious.

"Don't be such a hard ass. Come on, you know the rules." The man interjected. "You play nice. You take your lumps. Nobody else gets hurt."

"Tell your friend to drop his gun or I'll blow his brains out." My uncle threatened him.

My blue eyes widen a bit due to his comment. While Barbara shook more in my arms. "Oh, my God, Jim." She cried out.

My uncle quickly looked towards us. "It's okay, it's under control." He told us reassuringly before focusing on the main issue in front of him.

The bigger one of the intruders sighed, clearly annoyed by this. "Drop your gun." He told his partner as he lowered his own.

My uncle eyed his partner, watching him as he dropped his gun to the ground as well.

"Okay, have it your way." The man who had been harassing Barbara said. He walked closer to my uncle. His expression cold. "But now, after we kill you, we're gonna kill blondie...and _mini_ blondie too...nice and slow..."

He drawled on threatening us, but he never got to finish because my uncle acted fast. He hit the man with the butt of his gun and immediately knocked him out cold. He turned to face the other man and without even wasting another second he shot one of his legs. He then finished the job by kicking him in the face, knocking him out too.

It was if this had all been from a movie...it was just surreal. But I had to snap out of it. I shook my head and refocused myself back to reality.

"We've gotta go." My uncle said practically voicing my thoughts. I was about to stand up, but Barbara's shocked expression made me pause. I tried moving her to get up but she was in full on shock. She wouldn't move an inch. I looked towards my uncle, silently asking him for help.

" _Barbara_." My uncle said calling her name. Luckily this was able to get her out of whatever trance she was in and she got up from the couch. My uncle Jim made his ways towards us. I gave him a quick hug, as if confirming he were really here. _He was_. He saved us, but we didn't have time to dwell on that. Right now the three of us needed to get out of here. Barbara and I followed my uncle towards the front door. I made sure to grab my backpack that was on the floor as Barbara grabbed her purse. After that the three of us didn't look back inside as we practically ran from the apartment.

God knows where my uncle Jim was taking us, but I trusted him. Besides, anywhere from this apartment sounded fine to me. Just as long as I didn't have a gun pointed at my face anymore.

* * *

As it turns out my uncle Jim's huge plan to assure Barbara and I's safety was for us to leave Gotham. He didn't want us to the in the city anymore. Especially because of the dangers that were now coming up to the surface.

Dangers that were now well known about by both Barbara and I. My uncle ended up explaining everything to us. And by everything, I mean _everything_. More so to me though. He finally told me the real identity of the person who sent that mysterious text message to me. Turns out it was this Cobblepot person. _Oswald Cobblepot._ The man who had dropped by Barbara's apartment and introduced himself as Peter Humboldt.

 _Peter Humboldt_ my butt. I knew that was a fake name. Plus, with the way he had been staring at me, I knew that guy was bad news. Not to mention he unnerved me. And now here I find out that _he_ was the one who sent the text message? _Ugh._ Needless to say, I'm glad my uncle got me a new phone. But as of right now, the whole "text message" fiasco, wasn't the main issue right now.

No, the main issue right now was the fact that my uncle Jim was almost arrested!

He explained the whole thing to me. And long story short, he was supposed to kill Oswald Cobblepot, for a man called Don Falcone. Just like that burly man had briefly said back at Barbara's apartment. My uncle, of course never ended up doing that and just made it seem like he killed Cobblepot.

However, police got hold of some type of false evidence, indicating that my uncle did kill him, and because of that he was almost arrested. Although his arrest was put to rest when my uncle told me that Oswald Cobblepot made an entrance at G.C.P.D. Everyone after that was left quite shocked. But now that the word was out, that my uncle didn't really kill Cobblepot, more people...more _dangerous_ people were out to get him.

Case in point, one of them was Fish Mooney. Owner of Mooney's nightclub and a member of the Flacone crime family. And although she had been the one to send those men to Barbara's apartment, (the main one who was the burly shaped was named Butch Gilzean) she actually was not the main concern for my uncle. Which was pretty hard to believe considering that her men had been threatening us, but he explained that there was greater danger for us to face.

Don Falcone to be more exact.

Now I had heard the name Falcone before, but never have I met the infamous crime boss. Not that I wanted to anyways. Which was why my uncle wanted us to get out of Gotham as soon as possible.

He didn't allow us time to pack, so we didn't have any luggage with us when we arrived to the bus station. Barbara only had her purse and I had my school backpack with me. Whatever we needed like clothes and food, my uncle suggested that we'd buy them later once we arrived to our destination.

 _Metropolis_.

I've never been to Metropolis before. I've heard about the city though and knew that it was the right amount of distance from Gotham. So it was a rest assured trip. At least that was what I kept telling myself as we made our way to the bus heading there. We already had our tickets and were ready to go.

"Barbara, Winifred." My uncle said making us stop in our tracks. Barbara and I turned to look at him. I right away noticed how serious he appeared to be.

"What?" Barbara asked, clearly bemused as to why we stopped.

My uncle seemed like he was struggling with something. "Listen..." He started off saying intently to the both of us. Except I didn't need to hear what he had to say. I already _knew_ exactly what was happening. _Of course he would do this._ My stomach began to do turns. Barbara apparently caught on, because she immediately began shaking her head.

"No. No." She protested heavily at him.

"Just a couple of days and then I'll join you two." My uncle assured us calmly. This however wasn't calming me at all...

"Uncle Jim, _no_!" I exclaimed ardently, my emotions plain to see. But honestly can you blame me? I mean here he was saying he wasn't going to go with us. That instead he was going to stay here in Gotham. Was he insane or something? He could end up dying if he stayed this in treacherous city!

My uncle however remained stern. "There are things I need to do."

"Fine then. We'll stay. _I'll_ stay." Barbara claimed vehemently. Her voice wavered a bit towards the end of the sentence. "Okay? Because I love you, Jim. I cannot leave you."

"I love you too. The _both_ of you." My uncle told us, his gaze ardent. "That's why you and Winifred need to leave. If I know you two are safe, then there's nothing they can do to me." He explained earnestly.

I went to protest again, but he kept his reassuring demeanor and continued talking. "I'll make things right, and then I'll come join you guys."

Barbara looked him in the eyes, her face completely solemn. "And if you don't?" She asked him worriedly.

This too was a grave concern of mine. I impatiently waited for his response.

My uncle's conduct faltered. His gaze lowered a bit before he looked at the two of us again. "Don't come back, neither of you. _Don't_ come back to Gotham." He said in resolute.

"No, Jim." Barbara begged, crying this time.

My uncle just brought her into a hug and let her cry onto his shoulder for a bit. After their heartfelt moment was over, he landed his gaze onto me. I had stayed to the side and kept quiet, letting them have their moment. Now that it had ended, I knew he was going to say his "goodbyes" to me. I couldn't take it though. It was hard enough looking at him knowing that he was staying behind. If I said my farewell it would have just made everything more _real_. I didn't want that. So I just looked towards the ground.

" _Winnie_."

The sound of my uncle Jim's solemn tone of voice filled my ears. What struck within my interior was that he called me by that affectionate nickname he had for me. _Winnie_. Even though it sometimes made me feel like a child, that nickname had tenderhearted history to it. Nostalgia. Memories between my uncle and I. Memories that were beginning to fill throughout my head. Not being able to handle ignoring him anymore,I looked up towards my uncle.

I saw how his blue eyes were filled with an emotion I wasn't able to fully make out. Sad, probably would fit the description. Although he was doing a good job at keeping his firm exterior. I couldn't though. I allowed myself to crumble a bit. I felt a few tears go down my cheeks and then quickly ran towards him. I threw my arms around him and gave him a hug. It was way longer than I had intended it to be, but that didn't matter. My walls were down and I just wanted to have this moment with my dear uncle.

I considered begging him to stay, like Barbara had. But I knew it would be pointless. I knew that when my uncle made up his mind about something, he would stick to it. No matter what. He was a stubborn man...but he was also a man filled with courage, principles, and morals. Of course he would stay here and fight for the law. That was just who he was.

The best thing I could do now was just hope for the best. That he wouldn't get harmed, or worse... _killed_.

The thought of my uncle Jim getting killed, made me hug him tighter. I knew the hug would come to an end soon, but I just wanted to enjoy my uncle's warmth while he was still here with me.

* * *

Barbara and I ended up leaving Gotham right after saying are farewells to my uncle Jim. I _thought_ leaving my uncle Jim was going to be heart wrenching enough, but I was wrong. Since actually leaving him was way more harder than I originally thought. Getting on that bus and watching his form become smaller and smaller made me want to full on cry right then and there.

I did end up crying. I'm not going to lie about that. But I kept to myself when I did. Barbara respected my space and let me wallow in peace, and I did the same for her. We both just needed a moment for ourselves.

During this time, I watched the view outside the bus' window. Everything was just a blur considering how fast we were going. But for some reason this helped with my current state. Not sure how, but I wasn't going to dwell on it. My mind then kept going to random thoughts. Like my mother...I wonder how she was doing? A better question...I wonder how she would have felt about all this? My mind then took a turn for the worse. _What if something does happen to my uncle Jim?_ Who was going to take care of me? My mother? No, that wouldn't be possible she was still in treatment and completely unstable. Who then? Barbara? I doubted that. Even though I liked Barbara, she wouldn't be able to become my guardian. Unless she fought for it, but once again, I doubted that. The reasonable answer of course would have been my father, but I had no idea where the hake he was. Besides, given his non-participation in my life, should he even be considered an option?

I let out a sigh and calmed myself. I shouldn't be thinking like this. It's just going to make me more unwell.

 _Think about something else...Something else..._

My mind then suddenly went onto school. Oh my dear... _school_! Jonathan and I's biology project! I totally left without even telling him about my leaving! Who knows when I was going to come back to Gotham. That's if I was even going to come back...he's going to think I ditched him or something. _Ugh_. I really hope he doesn't think that. We were just progressing really well with our friendship. I would have called him, but he doesn't even have a cell phone. He said something about his dad not letting him have one. I don't know exactly remember. All I know was this sucked. Something else that sucked about me leaving school was that I was going to miss cheerleading tryouts. _Just great_.

Another realization hit me hard. I was leaving Gotham...which meant I was leaving behind any type of chance of ever running into Jerome again. That for sure made me let out a sigh of annoyance. Leaving behind the cute red head that made me blush like crazy. It was only then when I felt my cheeks start to warm up that I felt like face palming myself. I was acting like a complete idiot. But I couldn't help myself.

I know these were ridiculous thought, but it was better than the ones I was having before. At least now I wasn't falling apart on the inside. Well...maybe I still was. I got a wave of sadness and I slumped in my seat. These thoughts might of distracted for a while, but the reality of the situation hit me hard again.

"No... _no_...this isn't right." I heard Barbara mutter to herself. I turned my gaze towards her and I saw how crestfallen she looked. This didn't surprise me a lot, because I too felt (and probably looked) the same way. After all why wouldn't I be? Despite my attempt of pushing away my sorrow, I still felt _sad_. I just left the only family member I had that was stable enough to care of me. Not to mention, I had no idea what was going to happen to my dear uncle Jim. So of course _none_ of this was alright. I wanted to do something, anything that could help my uncle Jim out...but what could we do? What could _I_ do to ensure my uncle's safety? I lowered my gaze away from her, feeling totally glum with everything that has happened today.

"Winifred, if I told you there was a way to help Jim, would you agree to it?" Barbara suddenly asked me.

I remained quiet, with only my facial expression as my way of communicating. Except, I knew she wouldn't be able to see my expression. It was tense and it was only after I _fully_ digested what she had said to me, that I gave her a stiff nod. I still wasn't looking at her though.

I could tell that Barbara took my nod as her chance to continue on. She took a deep breath and then evened her voice. "I have an idea. It's an insane one, but we have to try _something_..." She drawled on in thought.

Now this got a _reaction_ out of me. I looked towards her. "What'd you have in mind?" I asked, finally speaking up as I caught her gaze.

Her steel blue eyes now stared directly onto my blue one's. Her expression held nothing but complete seriousness. And that's when I knew, that whatever plan she had I would go through with it. Anything that would get my uncle Jim out of the mess he was in.

* * *

Barbara and I ended up getting off at the next bus stop. And much to our relief, we didn't have to wait long to get on the next bus back to Gotham. It took a few hours, but we got there before dark. _Thank God._ Because although Barbara's plan was totally irrational, and some would even say ludicrous, it was still a plan I did not want to do during night time.

And what was this plan may you ask?

Well it was a simple plan.

The plan was to go the source of it all. Don Falcone.

Yeah, we were going to go to Don Falcone's residence ask him to speak with us. Then beg him to leave my uncle Jim alone, on regarding this Cobblepot business. And you know what? That's exactly what we ended up doing. The whole plan was working just fine too, that is up until the end...when Don Falcone _left_ us. But right before he left us, he called out someone to confiscate our bags. Someone by the name of _Victor_.

Now let me tell you something about myself. When I was a little kid, I thought the bogeyman was real. I know, how cliche right? For a little girl to be frighten of a monster that doesn't even exist. But I guess that's what's considered a social norm now a days. That when we're little kids its normal for us to believe that the bogeyman actually exists. Of course that childish antic eventually ends as you grow older. Which is what happened with me. Seeing as my irrational fear of the _supposed_ bogeyman came to an end once I realized that there was no monster that went bump in the night. It was just my imagination getting the better of me.

What I didn't end up realizing until much later, was that the bogeyman was real. Only it didn't come in the form of a grotesque monster. Nor did it reside in your closet or under your bed. No, the real bogeyman came in the shape of a human being. One that was bald headed, had dark eyes, and dressed in all black. Which was what I came face to face today. The bogeyman.

Or as his real name turned to be... _Victor Zsasz._

The name that would always make a frown appear on my face. The name that would forever make my stomach drop in apprehension. The name that would pop into my mind in the middle of the night and make me want to scream in terror. It was the name that belonged to the man who took away our belongings and kept Barbara and I hostage.

And it was then when we were alone in the room with him and his two female partners, that Barbara and I knew we seriously messed up with coming here to Don Falcone's residence.

" _Ohh_ , look what we have here girls. Brand new toys." His dark eyes landed onto me and a twisted like smile appeared on his face. "Hmm, and this one looks good enough to _keep_."

I gulped and huddled closer to Barbara.

 _Yeah, we seriously messed up._

* * *

She said her name was _Liza_.

The older looking girl that was in the kitchen with me. I had met her a few minutes ago _. She's the_ first person I've had some sort of encounter with, after I was _left_ here by myself. Wrist bound together. While Barbara had been taken heaven knows where by that _Victor Zsasz_ guy. Since then I've been worried sick for her. The more she was gone the more I began to dislike this Zsasz guy. Not to mention it was because of him that I dropped my red scarf. The same red scarf that my mother made for me. It was somewhere in this mansion, but I knew the chance of me getting it back was slim to none. Since then I've been wallowing. At least I still had the charm bracelet my mother gave to me. Except I really did love that red scarf.

Given how tired I felt, I seriously thought it was the next day. Time seemed iffy right now to me. My mind was just all over the place. The only thing I could do was hope that Barbara was okay. I knew trying to escape or look for her would be futile. Since when I saw her leave I caught a glimpse of men guarding the door. Plus I wasn't stupid enough to try to out run them. Especially since I also saw them carrying guns. So I stayed put in my seat, with no one else in the kitchen but me. It felt like I was in the room for eternity though.

Well that was until Liza came in here and introduced herself to me. Apparently she was going to try to bake...muffins? _Trying_ , being the operative word here, because from where I was sitting it looked like she was struggling a bit.

A pretty name. In my opinion anyways.

I had to admit she was really pretty. Even with my high agitation, her beauty was something that stood out well. She had brassy blonde hair and her facial features leaned towards the intricate side. She was also wearing an elegant home styled dress. Which in comparison to my dark blue _Holly Butterfly Swing Dress,_ that I was wearing, she really did look classy.

Which only made me wonder why in the world a girl like her...unimpeachable looking, would be here of all places? Maybe she wasn't so innocent? You know what they say, don't judge a book by it's cover.

So with this in mind, I didn't drop my guard with her. Still _though_ , it was kind of hard to think of her in such a grim way. Especially with the way she looking at the list she had in hand, which I presume was the baking instructions. Her expression held nothing but confession, and that alone just made me want to help her. After all baking happened to be an expertise of mine. I had to thank my mother for that. She and I would always use to bake stuff together.

Therefore when I saw Liza's quizzical like expression grow more, I decided to finally speak up.

"You should preheat the oven to 375."

She quickly turned to look at me, eyebrows furrowed. "What?" She asked, and I had a feeling I threw her off more with the fact that I actually spoke.

I steadied my voice and looked directly into her eyes. "If you're making muffins, then you should preheat the oven to 375...Fahrenheit. Also depending on what kind of muffins you're making you should still figure out what kind of measuring cups to use before you start. Other wise you'll feel rushed." When I saw her bemused expression grow, I shrugged my shoulders. "Just saying..."

I saw how she was contemplating what I said, before she moved towards the oven. I couldn't tell exactly how much she set on the oven, but I assumed the latter. "You've baked before?" She asked me as she moved over to the kitchen counter. She read the recipe one more time before she took out a measuring cup. I distinctly heard her mumble one and half cup of sugar before pouring it in.

I nodded my head. "Yeah, I used to bake all the time...with my _mother_."

She must have heard that because she glanced at me. Her gaze then focused back on the task she had going on. We didn't say much after that. Other than me making a comment or two about to bake muffins...but other than that I kept quiet. Just watching her bake for some reason was soothing. I guess it was because it took me back to a time to when my mother and I use to bake. It allowed me to escape the harsh reality of the situation for a while anyways. Liza was almost with the muffins when I heard the kitchen door open.

I didn't wait long to see who was being brought it. It was Barbara. Her wrists were also bound and she was being escorted in by one of Falcone's men. I felt relief when I noticed it wasn't Victor. Although my relief didn't stay long once I saw the condition Barbara was in. I waited until the man who brought her in left before I tried speaking her with. But she just kept quiet and looked forward. This wasn't a good sign.

She had an angry red mark on her right cheek, underneath her eye. Like someone had hit or slapped her. No doubt it was probably going to bruise a bit...but _still_...

I was slack jawed due to her roughed up appearance. Some one had done _this_ to her? _Oh my..._ this deeply upset me. I mean, I've never seen a woman who had gotten hit before...

Well...actually now that I _really_ thought about it...that was a _lie_.

Going through my memories, I was able to single out a _specific_ repressed scenario. It was one I never really liked to think about it. Except given the situation I was in it was kind of hard _not_ to think about it anymore.

It was when I was fourteen years old back when I still lived in Boston. On that day I had to take the bus back home, after I spent the early portion of the day at my best friends Teagan's house. It was nearing the afternoon mark and all I wanted to do was go back home. Now usually I tended to get a ride back to my place, but unfortunately Teagan's parents couldn't drive me for reasons that I've forgotten about. I think she and her family had somewhere to be? A dinner of some sorts? I really don't remember. Anyways...now my mother would of been the next obvious option for a ride, but she was still stuck at work. Which made sense because she usually got out late from work on Fridays. So that left me with the final option of taking the bus.

Of course this didn't really bother me. Sure it takes about an hour for me to get home, but growing up in the city made me adjust to the city transport time. And honestly I've always liked the extra time in-between stops because it allowed me to listen to my music, draw in my sketch book, or read whatever novel I had in my backpack. Time well spent in my opinion. _Tranquil_ as well..

 _Except_ the bus life wasn't always like that. Much to my misfortune.

Because you see, riding the bus could be _unruly_. Not all the time...just _half_ of it. It was the city after all. And even Boston had it's fair share of unhinged like people. So getting weird people on the bus was normal and not unheard of. But just like with the bus over time limit, over the years I've gotten use to welcoming unpleasant passengers as well. Besides, I usually just ignored them and that solved everything for me. _Don't bother them, they won't bother you. Just mind your own business_. That's what my mother use to to tell me. It's the model I use and I'm guessing several others do too. And it worked for me. However that day on the bus, ignoring the scene that was happening, was a rather hard thing to do.

Honestly, at first I had no _flippin_ ' clue with what was going on. I was really into my drawing and listening to my music that I barely noticed the noisy commotion. It was only after I saw someone rush past my seat that I finally looked up and caught on. Apparently what had happened was that a fight broke out on the bus. Towards the back of the bus. Now arguments breaking out during a bus ride was actually fairly common. So loud insults being thrown around didn't startle me. Except this time it was more than just an verbal argument. You see what made it extra shocking to me was that it was an actual _fight_. As in a _physical_ altercation. And what startled me even more was that it was between a man and a woman.

Now I've seen small ( _if you can even call them that_ ) fights before at my old school in Boston. Hake, I even saw a fight here in Gotham, when Jonathan was getting beat by that bully. I hated thinking about that dire time. That _Josh_ guy is such a jerk...but I'm glad to know that since befriending Jonathan he's no longer getting beat up anymore. But like I was saying, at my old school the fights were mostly girl fights. The guys at my school tended to talk things through. Which I hoped that the girls could of done that as well, but they didn't...sadly. Any who the fights at my old school were nothing serious. No one ever got seriously hurt. It was just mostly them talking trash towards each other. Cuss words and such. The most damage they did to one another was hair pulling. A teacher always made it in time before they could start the real damage. Which I was always thankful for since I'm not one for violence. Even back then I never approved of those kind of physical acts. I always thought it was stupid and immature. I mean, if a person has a problem with you, just talk it out. Why condone to violence? That's never gonna solve whatever issue you have between the two of you. _Anyways_...like I said, even back then I've never even witnessed a girl getting _hit_. By a male or by another female. So to witness a man and woman fight on the bus...hitting each other...was _surreal_...and it really did leave an impact on me. Also because of what I later found out about the two of them.

You see the man and woman who had been fighting on the bus...were _together_. As in they were a couple.

I later got a somewhat of a full story as to why they fought in the first place. From what I've been told, the man had been insulting the woman. Calling her by inappropriate names, intimidating her and such. And that's when she snapped, and she _pushed_ him away from her. This of course only aggravated the man and he retaliated back by slapping her. After that it went _downhill_. And that's when I finally caught on to the scene. When the other passengers tried breaking them apart. The bus driver even had to stop the bus in order to help separate them. I however was with the crowd that remained in their seats. I was to startled to even move. For Petes Sake, I was fourteen years old. When this whole thing was happening all I was thinking about was home. Wanting to go home and hug my mother. The whole incident was upsetting. But you know what _really_ upset me the most though? The fact the woman after getting off the bus, just left with him. She acted as if nothing had occurred. Even after when the police came and everything, she refused to press charges...and that right there bewildered me.

I never found out what happened to that woman. I really hoped she got help. In fact I hope the both of them got help. Except what I secretly hoped for was that she left him. That she realized he wasn't good for her...but I knew deep down that she probably didn't.

After that incident I was left severally questioning on what exactly love _really_ was...

Just why in the world would someone stay with a person if they were hurting them? Physically or emotionally, because both were considered abuse. Why would a person willingly go through that hurt? _For love?_ That can't be love...love isn't suppose to cause pain... _right?_

I remember I had asked my mother this question. Of course before she answered me, we had the the whole _"I'm so relieved you're okay"_ mother-daughter moment. Which included hugs, and well...even more hugs. But I couldn't complain, and even now I don't complain. Because truth be told, I _missed_ her hugs...

Back to the point though...the answer she ended up giving me, just made me feel more sorrow.

 _"Some people just become so emotionally attached to a person, that it becomes hard for them to leave that said person."_

The way she had said that to me, made it sounded like she knew from _personal_ experience. Which I deeply, sincerely, hoped that wasn't the case...because that would mean she was talking about my... _father_. After all he was the only man my mother has ever been with. So the very thought that my father had been abusive towards my mother, made my stomach twist in despair.

Maybe that was the sole reason why she never liked to talk about him in the first place. Maybe that's why she refused to tell me his name...or let alone any _real_ information about him. Which would be perfectly understandable. And like I said before, it wasn't like I could ask my mother about this. She was still in no condition to answer my questions. My uncle Jim wouldn't be much help either. My mother never told him anything regarding my biological father's identity. No matter how much he had begged her. She just wouldn't budge to his pleadings either. Therefore on some foolish naivety, I still remained hopeful that my father wasn't an abusive man. Sure he was an irresponsible man for leaving me and my mother, but that didn't necessarily mean he was abusive... _right?_

My jumbled up thoughts were soon interrupted by the sound of the kitchen door opening. It had been totally abrupt, that the door hitting the kitchen wall made a loud noise. The action completely startled me. Barbara too since I saw her jump in her seat. I took a deep breath, controlling my nerves. We then both looked towards the direction of the door. When I did this whatever calmness I had disappeared. My heart beat picked up its pace and my stomach dropped in trepidation once I saw _who_ came in.

A chill went down my spine once Victor Zsasz came into the kitchen. I tried to make my fear not too obvious and instead focused on anything but his presence. I instead pay attention to Liza who also seemed determined to ignore Victor's sudden presence. From where we were sitting I felt Barbara begin to shake. Her fear towards Victor was way more obvious than it should have been. It was then that a light bulb went off in my head. He must have been the one to have hit her. Oh my.

I wanted to calm her down, but I knew if I spoke up that would have drawn more attention towards her from him. Luckily it seems like Victor seemed more interested in Liza's baking. His stare was on her as she made her way towards the oven. The muffins were now done.

"Those muffins smell good." Zsasz commented impishly as he watched her take out the muffins. I saw how Liza got a irked expression on her face. Despite this I could still tell she was unnerved by him.

"None for you...creep." She muttered quickly passing by him. It kind of gave me a weird sense of comfort that me and Barbara weren't the only ones scared of him. I don't know why...it just did.

"You two can have one, if you want." Liza ended up saying to us, as she set the warm batch of muffins on the kitchen counter.

"No, thank you." Barbara said in a strained voice. I took a quick glance towards her and I saw how petrified she looked. I swallowed the lump that was in my throat. _Poor Barbara..._ all I wanted to do was console her...tell her everything was going to be okay, but that would have been such a doltish thing to do, especially with what she had just gone through. Even though I didn't exactly know what happened with her and Zsasz, I had a pretty good idea with what he did to her. The red mark on her cheek was enough evidence.

I started adjusting my tied up hands. I knew this would't loosen them, I just did this as a way to relax myself. _Stupid_ I know, but it did help with distracting my nerves, because the more I thought about the way Barbara got hit by Zsasz, the more dismay I felt. My hand movements came to a stop when I felt someone was staring at me. Even with the beige cardigan I was wearing over my dress, I still got goosebumps crawling all over my arms. I didn't even have to look up to know who was _staring_ at me, but I did anyway. Out of fear that if I didn't, that would end up upsetting him.

So I slowly raised my gaze away from my hands and looked up. I felt my blood run cold when my blue eyes landed onto his dark eyes. What made me want to hide and runaway from him though was his smile. The same smile that made a chill run down my spine. I once again swallowed another lump in my throat.

He must have taken amusement towards how uncomfortable he was making me, because his smile didn't waver. I thought he would remain quiet, with only unnerving me with his stare, but no unfortunately that was not the case. His dark eyes gleamed. "What about you?" He ended up asking me.

If I thought his staring was bad, then I was dead wrong. Because having him talk directly to me ( _again_ ) took the win. I was too out of it that it took several seconds to actually understand what he had asked me. He took my nerves as his own form of entertainment though. " _Hmm_?" He drawled on facetiously.

Managing up courage, I spoke up, lowly though. "No."

"No, _what_?" He asked me with a deride type of tone. He even put a hand towards his ear, as if making fun that I was speaking low. "Come on, let me hear those manners of yours."

This ticked me off, but not enough to fully raise my voice at him. But it was enough to steady it out, more clearer than before. "No, _thank you_." I said, but instead of saying it to him, I said to Liza. I even looked at her while doing this. I quickly looked away before I was able to see her reaction. I didn't even dare to look at _him,_ not after I did that. Instead I looked at my hands again. A feeling of regret hit me hard as soon as the realization that I might have angered him came into mind. However much to my surprise, I heard him let out chuckle. But it wasn't a soothing chuckle, _no_...it was a chuckle that just made me more frighten than I already was.

After that the kitchen was filled with silence. The silence was uncomfortable...and it didn't help that Victor was staring blankly at us. I once again felt my heart beat pick up pace. The all of a sudden the song _Funky Town_ began playing. Without breaking his stare on us, I saw him reach into his jacket and answer his cellphone.

I frowned slightly in bemusement. That was his ringtone? If I wasn't so scared, I would have made a witty comment at him.

Except whatever the person on the other line was saying did not ease my nerves.

"Got it." Victor replied before hanging up the cellphone. He let out a mild disappointed sigh. "What a _shame_."

Barbara looked at him with wide eyes, fear evident in them. And truth be told, my eyes probably looked the same as hers.

* * *

We were being taken (rather forcefully, might I add) into another part of the mansion. I instantly recognized the hall, and knew that we were being lead into the same waiting room, where we had first met Don Falcone. Now I had no idea as to why we were being lead here, but I certainly was feeling anxious. And being wrist bounded and dragged around by Victor, sure wasn't helping my nerves either. Barbara too looked quite panicked. And for obvious reasons. We had no idea on why we were being brought to this room again. Leaving me with no option but to assume some petrifying thoughts.

Once we reached the end of the hallway, Victor quickly opened the door. Barbara and I were then immediately pushed through it. I stumbled inside alongside Barbara. I took a deep breath, and while doing this I tightly closed my eyes. Now that we were inside my anxiousness escalated. I for sure felt my heartbeat pick up pace. I didn't want to open my eyes because I was waiting for something bad to happen. _This was it..._

"Okay, so it wasn't a bluff."

 _Wait a minute_...I recognized that voice!

I immediately opened my eyes and caught sight of something that both threw me off and comforted me. This whole time I was really expecting for something bad to happen to me and Barbara. So once I caught sight of _who_ was inside the room, my nerves were pushed to the side. There sitting on one of the couches, in the middle of the room was my uncle Jim and Detective Bullock. Standing to the side of the room was mayor James. I found it odd that he was here, but my attention was more focused on my uncle and his partner.

Detective Bullock had made the comment that made me realize he was here. He was wearing his usual style of clothing but I could tell by his facial expression that he was indeed high-strung with what was going on. My uncle Jim also had on one of his work suits, and his exterior was different than Detective Bullock. My uncle's eyes were open wide, filled with relief as he looked over at Barbara and I. He hurriedly got up from the couch and made his way towards us. He stopped half way once he saw who exactly was behind us. Despite pausing his movements, he was still appeared cautious.

Now I know this was not a good situation we were all in, and having him here probably just meant he was in more danger, but I disregarded all that. I overall was just glad that he was here and that at the moment, he seemed fine and unharmed. The more I looked at him, the more my eyes were beginning to water. I didn't want to cry and seem weak, but with everything that happened today, I was starting to break. I quickly fought against this. I _refused_ to break down in front of people. I inwardly berated myself and held back any tears that were threatening to escape.

"I'm sorry if they were mistreated. Barbara especially. We needed to be sure they had nothing useful to tell us." Don Falcone said, catching my attention. I let my gaze linger towards him. I noticed how he was looking behind Barbara and I. "Untie them Victor." He ordered.

I saw Barbara flee towards my uncle once she was free. I was paying too much attention on them, that I jumped when I felt Victor cut through the ropes that bounded my wrists. I heard him give out a low deep chuckle, and I had to hold everything within me to not snap at him. Once _I_ was free I backed away from him and then rushed towards my uncle's arms instead.

I hugged him, just like Barbara had done, and basked in his warmth. While doing this, with a low voice, I profusely began apologizing to him. This whole idea of coming back and begging for Don Falcone to spare him, had been _stupid_. But what's done was done. It was only when I calmed down with my apologizing, that I heard Barbara saying the same thing as well. I felt the tears that were going down her cheeks land on my hands. This only made me want to cry as well, but once again I held in any wretched emotions I had. I pulled out of my uncle Jim's arms, but still stayed very close to him.

"What am I going to do with you?" Don Falcone asked out loud. When I looked back at him, I noticed that he was staring at us with a solemn expression. "By rights you have to die."

"Whoa, hello! Uh, I'm late for work. Quite an adventure, I'll be on my way." Mayor James exclaimed as he made his way towards the door. I then watched as he practically ran out the door.

 _Ladies and gentlemen, the brave mayor of Gotham City..._

I managed to think to myself sarcastically _._ Even despite the dangerous situation we were in, it seemed like my inner droll humor still remained.

"Such a waste though." Don Falcone commented, catching our attention again. "Gotham needs men like you. Both of you." He said looking at both of my uncle Jim and detective Bullock. His gaze on them was ardent. "Strong men with principles. I wish I could show you I'm not the enemy. The system is not the enemy. The enemy is _anarchy_." I noticed how Don Falcone focused on my uncle Jim more when he said this. He gave my uncle, a point like stare. "But I told you that before, didn't I, Jim?"

My uncle faltered in his stance. "Yes, you did." He answered solemnly.

Don Falcone shook his head slightly. "You didn't listen though."

"Do we get a last meal or a smoke or something or anything? Or just talking?" Detective Bullock interjected caustically. My eyes nearly widen in shock when I heard him say this. Deep down though, I had to applaud him by how he was trying to divert away his nervousness by using his sharp bitter humor. Luckily, Don Falcone didn't pay much attention to his comment. He just continued to stare at my uncle.

"But today, you believed me." Don Falcone said with a short nod. "You trusted my word. That's a good first step. Perhaps there's still _hope_ for you."

After he said this there was a pause, filled with absolute silence. During this time, my uncle, Detective Bullock, Barbara, and even I, were looking at each other with wide eyes. _Was he actually about to spare us?_ I thought with awe and hope. Because by with the way he sounded, it sure seemed like he was. My stomach began to turn in anticipation.

Don Falcone looked over at the three of us. His eyes heavy, but filled with earnest. "Yes." He said, making the three of us perk up. "Go. Get out of here before I change my mind."

"Wait a minute." I heard Victor say in a tone of disappointment.

Don Falcone gave him a hard stare. " _Quiet_." And with that order, he stopped from further commenting. I might have not shown it on the outside, but inside I was glad that he got Victor to quiet down. My sudden joy stopped once I saw Don Falcone coming our way. I tensed but told myself to relax. He stopped right in front of us and looked at Barbara.

"It's been a pleasure, Barbara." He said sounding so benevolent that it actually threw me off. _Was this the same man that had us captured?_ Barbara looked just as bemused as I was. "I do admire a brave woman." Without another word he then looked at me. "Meeting you has also been quite interesting, Winifred. You have such equanimity for your age. It's really hard to find that sort of quality." He said and I could of sworn I saw his lips turn up a bit. Almost as if he were smiling. But it must have been my mind playing tricks on me. After he said that, his tone of voice took a more serious tone. "Especially in today's youth. Hold onto that." He told me, and all I could do was just stand there and listen.

"What's the catch?" My uncle asked catching Don Falcone's attention. I saw the chary expression he had on.

Detective Bullock, who was now standing up, gave him a side glance. "He said we could go. Let's not haggle here."

Although I wanted to get out of here too, I was still rather curious on why the sudden freebie. I know I should have just been grateful for the chance to run, but I'm a curious girl. Blame my uncle Jim for that.

When Don Falcone didn't respond, my uncle stepped closer to him. "What's the catch, Mr. Falcone?" He asked more determined. I held onto Barbara's hand when he did this, seeing at how panicked she got again.

"I want you to think about what I said." Don Falcone said evenly. "I want you to understand the truth. That's all I ask. The catch is...someday soon, you'll see I'm _right_."

I had no idea what he was talking about. Right about what? Well, whatever he was claiming to be right about, that was going to be something to be dealt with on another day. Because right now I just wanted to get away from here. So we did.

After that discussion, my uncle, Barbara, Detective Bullock, and I got the hell out of there. And boy was I ever glad to leave that mansion. Especially with leaving the mere presence of Victor Zsasz. Never again did I want to see that man...or be in the same room with him.

* * *

We dropped off Barbara first back at her place. Although, Detective Bullock had been the first one to leave. But my uncle Jim and I both took Barbara to her apartment. It was there that she broke down in tears and explained everything to my uncle Jim. On why we came back to Gotham and such. She tried taking all the blame for the plan, but I didn't let her. I had agreed to do the plan anyways.

Much to my surprise my uncle wasn't angry at us. I guess the fact that we escaped with our lives intact was enough to pass this idiotic thing we did. Barbara ended up having a serious break down. This was probably the worse I've seen her. Her sorrow filled state reminded of my mother and whenever she had a bad emotional mood swing. We didn't end up leaving her place until way late at night. To be honest, watching Barbara like that almost made me want to break down too. But I was gonna wait until I was in the safety of my room...alone.

Which was where I was going right now, now that I was back at my uncle Jim's apartment. Speaking of my uncle Jim...it was his voice stopped me in the middle of the hallway.

"Winifred."

I paused my movements towards my bedroom, and turned to face him. His face was completely somber that I thought I was finally going to get a serious lecture, but no. That didn't end up happening. Instead my uncle came closer towards me. It was then that I noticed how soft his gaze was on me.

"Listen, if you want to talk about what happened...you can with me." He said with a voice of understanding. This was just too much to handle. I had to get to my room already.

I plastered on a small smile. "Thanks, uncle Jim, but I'm fine." I turned around and began making my way to my room again.

"It's okay if you're not." He said solemnly.

This made me stop again, and I bit the inside of my cheek. I took a deep breath and held in my tears. I then glanced over my shoulder to look at him.

"Really, I'm fine. I just want to sleep now. So...I'll see you in the morning. Good night, uncle Jim." I then hurriedly walked into my room, but before I closed the door, I heard my uncle mutter a goodnight to me as well.

It was then when I was inside my room that I let my inner walls falter. I slid down my bedroom door and put my head on my knees.

I missed my old life back in Boston _,_ before I came to Gotham. I missed my friends. But most importantly... I missed my _mother_.

The realization of all this was just too much for me to bear anymore. So with all that in kept emotion I had inside, I did the one thing I was refusing to do. I finally let myself cry. I hoped that with all my crying I would eventually tire myself out...because there was no other way I would able to fall asleep. Not after everything that I went through today.

* * *

 ** _A/N:_ OMG...** _What a chapter, am I right? **o.O Woah**. Poor **Winnie**. **:(** It really hurts me to see how scared and broken she felt in this chapter. She kept up a brave face for her uncle **Jim** , but in reality she was frighten and waited until she was alone to finally let it all out. It's painfully obvious that this whole ordeal left her traumatized. **:/** Poor thing. Anyways, **Winifred's** father was once again mentioned in this chapter. :O I'm nervous and excited for when he comes into the story. His appearance is definitely going to cause an impact in **Winifred's** life. Except he won't officially show up until near season 2. Until then were just gonna have to wait. I'm already looking on who his face claim is going to be. Although I have a pretty good idea on who I want to portray him. ***Tehe* :P**_


	10. Chapter 10: Stress is just the beginning

**_Disclaimer:_ **_I do not own Gotham or any of the characters. I only own my OC._

 ** _A/N:_ **_Another update, so fast? I'm just full of surprises. Luckily I was able to use my school's computer since my laptop is seriously sucking right now._ _So this chapter takes place after episode 8 and it's kind of towards the beginning of episode 9. We have scenes with **Winifred** and **Jonathan** in this chapter though. Yay! Anyways, since we're heading into episode 9, that means we're also finally going to get scenes with **Winifred** interacting with **Selina** and **Bruce**. Which I've been wanting to write for a while now! And then we're going to head into episode 10, and we all know what happens in that episode. ***EEEP***_

 **P.S.** _Guys! **Jerome** is coming back! Our favorite red head is finally coming back! **:D ohmygod!** I can not tell you how excited I am for next weeks episode! Gah! Anyways, now that I've expressed my excitement, you all can proceed with your reading. **(:**_

* * *

 _"The mind can go either direction under stress—toward positive or toward negative: on or off. Think of it as a spectrum whose extremes are unconsciousness at the negative end and hyper-consciousness at the positive end. The way the mind will lean under stress is strongly influenced by training." ― Frank Herbert_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 10: Stress is just the beginning**_

 **A couple days later**

I didn't end up going to school for the last past two days since returning to Gotham. My uncle Jim recommended for me to stay away from school, at least for a few days. My supposed excuse was that I had a terrible case of the stomach flu. Obviously that was a lie.

Apparently he just wanted me to have a few days to myself in order to recover from everything that I had gone through. It's almost funny, since I remember him once telling me that making up an excuse not to go to school was bad. But given the circumstances, I understand his reasoning for me to skip school.

I of course being the stubborn girl that I was...protested. Quite vehemently, might I add. Yes, what had occurred with the whole being held hostage by _Victor Zsasz and Don Falcone,_ was indeed somewhat traumatic. But that didn't mean I wanted to stay hidden inside my uncle's apartment.

First of all, I didn't want to stay there because I would be by myself. My uncle still needed to go to work. Despite what I had gone through, I couldn't force him to stay and take care of me. He needed to do his job and help the city of Gotham. Which evidently has just keep getting worse and weirder by the day. Just yesterday my he arrested a man named Richard Sionis _―_ owner and CEO of Sionis Investments. But he was also a man who forced his new job applicants to fight each other to death, in order to determined who would work for him. Which was _twisted_. What was even more twisted was that my uncle was almost killed by _him._ Luckily my uncle got the upper hand and defeated him. Sionis was now residing in Arkham Asylum. Which if you ask me, is where he rightfully deserves to be. Especially since he caused many deaths, and almost killed my uncle. If he couldn't go to prison, then Arkham Asylum was a good enough alternative punishment.

So as you can tell, things in Gotham have not settled down in the slightest.

Now second of all, it was because being myself made me feel on edge.

I'm not gonna lie and say I'm feeling much better since we've returned. Because I haven't. Although this was something I have not made obvious to my uncle. He might have suspected it, but I played it off as nothing. There was no lie that I felt much better when I'm around him. I have a feeling that's because I trust him. I know that he'll protect me from any dangers. But even when I am with him...or anyone...deep down I still get that same disquietude feeling from when I was held captive with Barbara. And that feeling intensifies whenever I'm alone. It's like I am expecting someone to come out and get me. I know it's stupid...and utterly childish...after all I shouldn't being feeling this way. Don Falcone let us go. But after what happened...I have to admit it did leave me antsy. And frankly, I've never been this antsy before.

This feeling of course only ended up growing more the following day when we returned to Gotham.

It wasn't me who found my backpack...but my uncle Jim. Apparently it had been delivered to his apartment in the middle of the night. Left outside his front door. I was afraid to look, let alone open my backpack. So my uncle did it for me. And all that was inside were my school books, cellphone, sketch book, pepper spray (still intact) and to my surprise...my red scarf. And it was after we inspected everything, that the smallest sense of relief went through me. And for a brief moment there, I was actually happy that I got all my stuff back. And that none of the items had been damaged. My uncle of course had been the one to drag me back to reality. He was more confused and wary. And I right away understood why.

I mean, it was no surprise who sent it. Don Falcone had. Maybe this was his way of apologizing? He had no obligation to return my belongings back to me...but yet he did. Which I appreciated. I was so sadden when I realized that I no longer had my sketch book and red scarf. So getting them back was great.

But getting my things back didn't help decrease my uneasiness. I was still silently crying myself to sleep in the middle of the night. Hoping I wouldn't have another nightmare...

And if I'm being honest, I've been barely getting any sleep since the incident. Not that I would let my uncle know. Make up helped a lot. It helped hide the dark circles I had under my eyes. And since he was rarely at his apartment, he barely noticed my exhausted like state. Coffee nowadays had become my best friend. Not that it wasn't before. Only know I practically drank it twenty four seven. It's what has been keeping me semi-steady and alert. I knew I needed to sleep more, it was unhealthy to have lack of sleep. But the nightmares I've been having has made it difficult for me...maybe I'll buy some sleeping pills after school today.

Speaking of _school_...

It was now Wednesday. The day I was _finally_ going back to school. It took some more begging from the night before, but my uncle Jim agreed to let me go back to school today. So once I woke up (not that I was really asleep) this morning, I pushed aside the remaining uneasiness that I had. I couldn't keep feeling this way. I needed to man up. Or should I say _woman_ up. My uncle was already dealing with Barbara's disquietude, he didn't need mine to worry him either.

Which by the way, from what my uncle told me, Barbara wasn't doing so well. And honestly that didn't really surprise me. It was quite obvious she was having problems as well. The emotional breakdown she had, was enough for me to know she wasn't going to get well any time soon. Besides, I hadn't seen or talked to her since returning to Gotham. I've tried calling her several times, but every time I did my calls went straight to voicemail. She wasn't up for talking, I could understand that. With what we went through, I knew she had it way worse than me. I could only imagine how she was handling herself... so since Barbara needed my uncle's emotional support, I knew couldn't throw my distress towards him too. It would only be distracting him from his job. And like I said before, since we've returned Gotham, troubles within the city seemed to be growing more and more.

I just needed to toughen up.

So maybe going to school would be a good thing.

Well I certainly hoped so.

Just as long as I didn't have to stay by myself in an empty apartment anymore.

So this morning I ended up getting ready earlier than usual. Not that it was an issue for me. I had already been up. I was out of the shower by six and ready and dressed by seven. I didn't need to worry for my uncle Jim's concern because he left real early to the G.C.P.D. So I had the whole apartment to myself. Which only made me want to leave. Before I left, I made sure that I looked presentable. Even though I felt like crap on the inside, I still wanted to look school appropriate on the outside.

My outfit today consisted of me wearing one of my more longer dresses. It was past knee length and the color was a light pink. I wore my usual beige cardigan over it and tights underneath it. As for shoes, I wore my coral colored flats. And last but not least, the red scarf that my mother had made for me was wrapped around my neck. Now as for my hair...

Well there really wasn't much I could to my hair, other than brush it. But it was more wavier than usual and that was bothering me.

So because of how unruly it was, I gave up on my hair and instead focused on my outfit.

After making sure I looked alright, I left my uncle's apartment and got on the bus. I arrived to the school real early that I had time to just walk around for a bit. It helped that the halls weren't empty. Students who arrived early were here as well as teachers. Which helped calmed me down. Although I still had that annoying kink that was bothering on my neck. So throughout my walking around I kept rubbing my neck. Eventually it was time to start getting ready to head to class.

I made my way to my locker and I put in the combination. Once I opened it I began putting away the books I didn't right away need. Since I had Biology and then English right after, I figured I'd only carry those books, and then get the rest later. After doing this, I quickly closed my locker and zipped shut my backpack. I then let out a huff and turned, ready to walk to my first class. It was when I did this that I saw Jonathan making his way towards me.

Oh, _Jonathan_...

I had been so occupied with my own self, that I actually forgot about Jonathan. _Wow_..I suck. I seriously needed to get my crap together. What was wrong with me? Ugh.

The closer he got to me, the more I was able to get a better look at him. He wearing dark blue jeans, a brownish checkered flannel, and his black jacket that was a size to big for him. I almost wanted to let out a small smile, because of how familiar he was. Even though I wasn't gone for too long, it wasn't until now that I realized how much I missed Jonathan. I wanted to bring him into a hug, and I almost did too, until I saw his expression. Now that he was in front of me I could rightfully tell it was a dejected one.

"You were gone…" Jonathan said in a low voice. I noticed how his blue eyes were looking ardently at me. Almost as if he was afraid that if he stopped looking at me, I would disappear or something. "I thought you were sick or moved back home…." He said in a despondent tone of voice.

I could understand why he would think I moved away so suddenly.

I remembered how I once told him that my time in Gotham wasn't going to be permanent. Which was kind of true. It was all based on how well my mother was doing in her treatment. When I told Jonathan, about how I might move away in the near future, it wasn't something I said with utmost seriousness. It was just something random I shared with him. But to hear that he actually remembered made me feel awful. Awful because I could see how my sudden absence made him feel sad. I frowned and shook my head. "No….it's just something came up and well…" My eyesight fell towards the ground. I could of just said I had the stomach flu. That's what my uncle Jim told the school. But I couldn't even do that. I once again began to feel awful. Only this time the feeling was because I wasn't able to tell him the real truth on why I was absent the last couple of days. But it wasn't like I could actually tell him everything that had happened to me. That was out of the question.

After my failed attempt of an explanation, I slowly looked up towards Jonathan again. I was expecting to see the same sad expression on his face, but to my surprise, I saw a small timid smile instead. "It's okay, you don't need to explain. I'm just glad you're back. I missed you…" Jonathan softly said to me.

I smiled back and I was about to respond back to him, but I stopped my actions once I saw how jittery he was getting.

"I mean, I missed you because of our project!" Jonathan blurted out. "We still have to finish it…."

Despite how nervous he had gotten, I couldn't help but keep smiling at his sheepish demeanor. He really was a sweet guy. "Whatever you say. How about we continue working on it during lunch?" I suggested with a light tone of voice.

Jonathan said nothing, but just nodded his head. I then remembered something that I wanted to do and say to him. "Hey, Jonathan…"

Jonathan looked at me. "Yeah?" He asked tilting his head.

I instantly pulled him into a hug. "I missed you too…" I admitted bashfully to him as I wrapped my arms around his neck. This was exactly what I needed...comfort from a friend. Even if he didn't know about my inner struggles, I still felt better having a friend in my arms.

Jonathan went still, but after a few seconds he started to relax against me. He kept quiet and didn't say anything. I however felt him start to slowly wrap his arms around my midsection. Now truthfully, I wasn't disappointed about him not saying anything back, because that gesture itself was enough of a response for me.

* * *

Biology class had passed by real quick.

Which I was rather thankful for if you asked me. I couldn't really handle Mr. Crane's eerie behavior today. During his lecture all I did was just space out. I didn't want to hear his voice. If anything, being in that class just made me more upset. And I didn't need to be more upset than how I already was. Just before leaving Biology, I did catch him saying to the class that our project was due in a week. Which I have to admit, that did give me some type of relief. At least now I knew how much time Jonathan and I had left to finish our project.

English class had been more enjoyable than Biology. Which really wasn't a surprise. All we did was took down some notes. I needed to stay a little bit during break to get the homework and notes from the last two classes I missed. After that I met up with Jonathan and he (being the nice guy that he is) let me copy the notes from the last two classes of Biology that I had also missed. He also explained what his father was lecturing on today. Which once again, I was thankful for. I ended up giving him another hug for that, and I had to hold in my pleased smile when I saw how sheepish he had gotten. Nonetheless just like before, he had slowly returned the hug.

After our small break was over, the two of us separated to go to our classes. He went to his History class while I went to Math. Which of course had been utterly boring. Any who, it was now lunch time and Jonathan and I were inside the library. We had eaten our lunches fairly quick, since we were eager to start working on our project. When we had gotten our lunches, I was surprised that none of Josh's group of friends bothered us. It wasn't until after we settled in the library that Jonathan said they hadn't been bothering him since Monday either. Apparently Josh and his posse at the moment were too busy getting ready for a football game that was coming up. Which relieved me of the worry I had for Jonathan. It was good to know no one had been bullying him during my absence.

Except even though I was happy to be spending time with Jonathan, I couldn't help but detect that uneasiness within me. I sighed and rubbed my neck. The book I was reading was starting to loose its interest. Which wasn't a good thing, because we needed to find useful information on it since it was going to be one of our resources. It also didn't help that this desk chair I was sitting on was uncomfortable. I bit the inside of my cheek. The unease feeling was beginning to grow more, so I tapped my foot on the ground hoping that would stop it. Of course it didn't. All it caused was for Jonathan to stop his writing in his notebook and for him look at me. I immediately stopped my foot tapping. I was about to apologize, thinking I was probably annoying him. But I then noticed his expression was nowhere near annoyance.

Jonathan looked at me closely. He tilted his head in a curious way. To me it seemed almost as if he were carefully analyzing me. I was about to question why he was doing this, when he suddenly spoke.

"Winifred, are you stressed?" Jonathan asked, his expression was filled with absolute concern.

" _Stressed_?" That certainly caught me off guard. I furrowed my eyebrows as I looked at him. "You think I'm stressed?" I asked, full on bemused by the sudden unexpected question. "Why do you think that?"

Jonathan ignored how surprised I sounded and nodded his head. "Well, the signs are all there."

 _Huh?_ "What signs?" I questioned him frowning slightly.

Jonathan let out a sigh. "For starters you keep rubbing your neck. Which must mean your either have a kink or you've been having trouble sleeping. And given how tired you look, I'd have to go for the second choice." He swiftly explained. Right after he said this though a considerate like expression appeared on his face. His blue eyes grew softer. "No offense." He told me softly. "It's just that I've been noticing stress signs coming from you. Like the foot tapping..."

I was thoroughly shocked. He was able to conclude all this, just by the short time I've spent with him since returning to school? And just by silently observing me? _Woah_. But that didn't mean it was true, right? Yes, I've been rubbing my neck a lot, and there was no denying that I looked tired. Lack of sleep was the cause of that. I guess the makeup underneath my eyes wasn't able to fool him. And the foot tapping...well there wasn't much I could say about that. But I wasn't stressed...I _couldn't_ be. I shook my head, still in complete denial.

"Jonathan, I'm not stressed, _okay_?" I replied curtly back to him. It wasn't until after a few seconds of thoroughly thinking that I realized how _mean_ I sounded. I inwardly cringed, but let out a low huff. I soften my gaze on him. "I'm _sorry_ , Jonathan." I quickly apologized. I stayed quiet, with only the sound of me tapping my fingernails on the desk being heard. I didn't even realize I was doing this. _Huh? Strange._ Force of habit I suppose. Although deep down I knew it wasn't. It was more than that. Just like with the foot tapping. I stopped tapping on the desk once I saw the concerned look on Jonathan's face again. I coughed and tried to discreetly play it off. But I knew there was no use in doing that _―_ he _saw_.

Jonathan gave me a sympathetic look. "It's okay...but just so you know, increased irritation and nervous habits are also a sign of stress." He said to me in a much somber tone of voice. I saw how he was now staring at me. Only this time his eyes were full with empathy, and it appeared to be more of a understanding type of stare.

"Look, Winifred, like I said before...you don't need to explain _anything_ to me. I understand wanting privacy about your personal life. You of all people should know that about me." Jonathan started evenly saying to me. His voice then lowered a bit. "Just _please_ take into consideration that stress is not something you should disregard. If there's something bothering you, don't ignore it. If not treated, stress could lead to many things. Headaches, rashes, and insomnia are just the basics, but it also causes much more _troubles_. Like anxiety, elevated blood pressure, and last but not least _depression_. It's tragic, but the mind can only take so much." He told me in a soft factual tone of voice. Everything he was saying was indeed insightful. Except he must seen how thrown off I looked because he quickly went back to his introverted like self. "But, uh, don't worry...there's many ways to relieve stress." He stuttered bashfully, as he lowered his gaze away from me.

I forced a small smile on my face and tried my hardest to make it look genuine. "Well look at you, _Dr. Crane_." I joked, trying to make the conversation less serious. In hopes of also leading it away from the tropic of stress and _me_. What he said before was making me realize how I was _stressed_ out. And I didn't want to admit that. Not out loud anyways. I was too headstrong to do so. I glanced towards the Library's clock and noticed the time. I looked towards Jonathan, before gazing down at my book. "So, we have about ten minutes until lunch is over. Best we stay focused." I said trying to sound as mellow as possible. I didn't need to give him yet another reason into thinking I was stressed. I already gave him enough evidence for that.

From the corner of my eyes, I could see how Jonathan was gazing at me. I could tell his expression was still one of worry, but luckily he didn't say anything to me. I heard him release a aghast sigh before he continued back to his writing. And that was how we remained during the rest of lunch. Silently working on our Biology project.

Maybe if I hadn't been so stubborn at this moment, I would have been able to thoroughly take Jonathan's advice. Maybe listening to him would have somehow changed my calamitous fate. Maybe if I had gotten help right from the gecko, I wouldn't have suffered the same semi-mental fate that my mother had.

But like all tragic stories _―_ especially one that has a chaotic love plot like the one I was going to later have _―_ I didn't ask for help. I should have though, because that would have prevented me from suffering a overwhelming mental illness known as _clinical depression_. But I'm getting way ahead of myself...since that dire mental _issue_ of mine has yet to fully develop. But years from now, I'll be able to pinpoint that this _moment_ was when I should have started taking better care of myself. Both physically and _mentally_. Because maybe...just maybe... if I had done that, the emotional damages that _he_ did to me _―_ the boy with the flaming red hair and sea green eyes _―_ wouldn't have affected me so badly. But alas, I did nothing to prepare myself for the heart breaking and permanent damage he would later inflict on me. Since all I could stubbornly think about right now, was how my mother was the one who was mentally ill _―_ not _me_. And no matter how much my inner voice would keep telling me to get _help_ _―_ I ignored it and pushed away the feelings of pain I had to the side. Just like how I was doing right now.

I was being an idiot _,_ and it was a shame I didn't realize this soon enough. Sure would have prepared me for the chaos I was going to later endure in my life.

And it was all thanks to a certain _red_ haired boy...

* * *

 ** _A/N:_ **_Yeah...not really a long chapter. This was more of a filler chapter. I kind of wanted to focus on Winifred's recovery from being kidnapped and such. As you can see it really left an impact on her. It's definitely made her more nervous and stressed out. Which is not good at all, especially since she's keeping it all in. And like you read in this chapter, this is kind of the beginning of how her depression starts to slowly form. **:/** Although it doesn't really_ _start to show until much later on. Which is something I want to explain quickly to you guys._

 ***Spoilers***

 _Later on in the story, **Winifred** will be diagnosed with Clinical Depression. Which I'll eventually go into detail within the story. Her depression will be caused by ** a lot** of things. **Jerome** is just one of the many reasons for the cause of her depression. Another one is going to be her father. ***Yikes*** Is all I can say about how he's going to affect her life. As for what else...well you guys are just going to have to wait and see what the other events are going to impact her life. Don't worry, **Winifred** won't go psycho crazy like **Barbara** , but she will have depression. Which is a serious mental health condition. _

_And in case some of you don't know what Clinical depression is, I'll give you a brief definition of it:_

 _A mental disorder characterized by sustained depression of mood, anhedonia, sleep and appetite disturbances, and feelings of worthlessness, guilt, and hopelessness._

 _So, yeah as the story continues, **Winifred** is definitely going to experience a lot of difficulties. Especially towards the end of season 1 and season 2 will just be...ugh...and as for season 3...OMG. I don't even know where to begin. Also I put a little Easter egg in this chapter. If you guys couldn't find it it was when **Jonathan** was explaining the consequences of stress to **Winifred**. **"The mind can only take so much."** It's a line **(which I do not own) t** hat was said in **Batman Begins.** **Cillian Murphy,** who of course played **Jonathan Crane** , was the one who said it. Lol. Just taught a brief lesson right there. _

_Anyways, before I go I know I usually post my **Tumblr** name on my story, **"A Hunter's Soul"** but if guys have any questions regarding **"Gotham's Light"** don't be afraid to ask! I'm always happy and eager to answer questions!_

 _ **Tumblr name:** ava-marie-faye_

 _ **P.S.** In case you guys are wondering about how to imagine **Winifred's** sense of style with how she dresses, I usually think of how **Violet Harmon** dresses from **AHS.** That's exactly how most of **Winifred's** clothing would be like. (:_


	11. Chapter 11: Running into you again

**_Disclaimer_ : **_I do not own Gotham or any of the characters. I only own my OC._

 _ **A/N:** Hello ladies and gentlemen! Another update! **Woohoo!** Given the return of a certain red head, I have a feeling you guys are going to like this chapter! **(;** Enjoy! Sorry for grammar errors, I'll fix them later! Next chapter will have **Winifred** with **Bruce** and **Selina**! Promise! (: _

_BTW the promo for 3x14 gave me chills. I definitely got **The Dark Knight** vibes from it, did anyone else feel that way?! **:D**_

* * *

 _"I had a dream that I saw shooting stars with you. Two things that will come close to never happening: Seeing shooting stars, and being with you." ― Karen Quan_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 11: Running into you again**_

The rest of my school day went by surprisingly fast. Nothing really interesting happened in my other classes.

Lunch over all proved to be the highlight of my return to school.

Jonathan and I actually ended up finishing the research part for our Biology project. All we needed to do now was just do the testing part. Which shouldn't be too hard. I'm pretty sure Jonathan and I were going to be able to find volunteers for it. At least I hope...

Anyways, I was now making my way to Rosie's Diner.

Why, may you ask?

Well it during my Art class, that I decided to make a quick stop over to Barbara's apartment. Even though she hadn't been picking up my phone-calls, I still wanted to see how she was progressing. Yeah, perhaps she still wasn't in the mood to be around people, but I just wanted to make more of an effort with her. Let her know I am trying here.

She couldn't ignore me forever. Besides...I was really worried about her. So that's why I was going over to visit her. But I didn't want to go empty handed. Which was why I was making a stop at Rosie's Diner. I was going to order a to go pie. Apple pie to be exact. And I mean, why not? Food after all offers comfort to many people. Including me. And apple pie is just too delicious to pass over.

Before making my way to the diner, I went over to _Park Surgical._ Which was a pharmacy not that far from the diner. I've seen it a couple times in the past when making my way to the diner. I decided to check the place out, in hopes of finding and buying some sleeping pills, (over the counter of course) so I can get a good nights rest. With no nightmares, might I add.

But going in there was something I regretted doing. It's not that I didn't get my sleeping pills...because I did. But overall my experience at that pharmacy was just terrible. And it was all because of that jerk of a clerk or manager, that was up in front. Honestly, I'd never met an employee who was that rude to a customer and at a pharmacy no less. I have to say, I feel really sorry for the people who get their prescribed medication there. Cause that man was a complete _jerk._

After leaving the pharmacy, and away from that very rude man, I then headed my way towards the diner.

Which was where I was at right now.

Stepping inside the retro fifties decorated diner, I right away noticed that it wasn't really crowded today. Figures, it was barely three o'clock. The most busy times are around breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So that meant there wasn't going to be a lot of people until six o'clock or so. Which was fine by me, because that meant I would be able to get my order much faster.

I made my way to the diner's counter and caught the attention of one of the waitresses. I immediately recognized her. Her name was Susan. She looked to be around her early twenties, college age. She was very pretty. With her wavy medium length hair and light brown eyes. Those features along with her slender body, yet curves in the right paces, did heighten her beauty. Really, she was way too pretty to be working at a diner if you asked me. But who knows...maybe this was a job she had to help pay for school. Anyways, I was happy she was here. Because out of all the waitresses, she was my favorite. She was just always so nice to me. Sure she's only served me a couple times, but she had been extremely nice to me when doing so. I released a smile once I saw her skating her way towards me.

"Hey, Winifred." Susan said once she was next to me. She let out a small smile. "How are you?"

"I've been alright." I said shrugging my shoulders, trying to act nonchalant as possible. I didn't need her to see me in a unnerved state. "What about you?" I asked, quickly moving the conversation.

"Good." She responded, but then let out a low sigh. "Just picked up a few extra hours here. But other than that, everything's been pretty much the same with me." Her tired voice then changed into one of a more chipper tone. "So, the usual?" She asked, but she didn't take out her little notebook or pen. Not that I expected her to, since every-time I came here I always ordered the same thing. But today was different.

"Actually, can I have one of your guys apple pies? A full one and can you make it to go." I said and then offered a small sheepish smile. As if to excuse my change of order. "I'm getting it for someone who is need of pie. Desperate need, I tell you."

"Well, pie does make things better. Especially if it's apple." Susan commented as she now wrote down my order.

"Right!" I exclaimed in a obvious sort of tone.

Susan smiled again. "I'll be right back with your order." She said to me right before skating away with my order in hand. I saw her making her towards where the kitchen was at. Once I couldn't see her anymore, I took a seat on one of chairs that were next to the counter the diner had. I took my backpack off my shoulder and laid it on-top of the counter. I fixed my dress, getting rid of any wrinkles that I saw. After doing that, I then opened my backpack and took a little peak, getting a look at the sleeping pills I bought.

They were over the counter and their ones I've used before, so I wasn't nervous about using them. I was just anxious, because I just wanted a good-nights sleep. I sighed and zipped my backpack shut. I was about to go real quick to the bathroom, to just see how I looked, when a voice caught my attention.

"Fancy running into you again, _gorgeous._ "

I instantly let go of my backpack. I felt my stomach due an odd twist of excitement when I heard that _voice_. It was the very same lighthearted voice that I had been hoping to hear again. At first I thought I was just hearing things, that maybe it was just my imagination. That thought immediately went away when I turned around and saw _him._

There he was.

Jerome Valeska in all his glory.

With his fiery red hair and sea green eyes. He looked just as cute as the last time I saw him. His outfit certainly caught my attention as well, just like last time. Only this time he was wearing dark pants, a light colored collared shirt, and over that was a dark blue sweater that appeared to be custom made. His presence and the details of his outfit that I was paying close attention to, just made it more harder for me to stop how silly I was being internally. I was left completely awestruck by him.

He was actually here... _oh my God._

 _What do I do? What do I say?_

I was seriously like a fish with it's mouth opened, because I wasn't saying anything to him!

 _God, what's wrong with me? I've been wanting to see and talk to him, and now that I'm able to...I can't even utter out a single word?! Ahhh._

"...Hi." I finally said in a faint voice, as I kept my soft gaze on him.

Jerome's smile, the one he had since looking at him, grew. "Hi." He repeated in a much more exuberant way.

"You're here." I said, even though it sounded like I said it more to myself than to him.

"That I am." Jerome said vibrantly, before taking a seat next to me. He turned towards my direction and gave me a lighthearted expression. "Told you I'd see you again."

 _He did,_ and now that he was here...with me, I was glad he actually meant what he said. I managed to find my full voice. "Yeah, you did." I said, finally letting a genuine smile appear on my face.

"So, gorgeous, how's life been treating you since I last saw you?" Jerome asked as he looked at me in full on intrigue. His sea green eyes seemed to gleam with what looked like avidity as he waited for my reply.

I blushed at the fact that he called me gorgeous. I managed to control my blush at first, because of the sudden shock of seeing him again. But now that the shock had settled down, it was full on blush city for me now. His question though, with how life has been treating me, did certainly leave me in a bemused state with how I should answer him. Just like with Jonathan, I couldn't tell him what had happened to me...

"Yoo-hoo, gorgeous, you there?" Jerome said waving one of his hands in front of my face. It was then that I realized that I had spaced out with my thoughts. I gave him a sheepish expression.

"Sorry..." I apologized, lowering my gaze on him a bit. "But, uh, it's been...a little complex." I decided that was the best answer I could say to him, without going into details. It was a better explanation than what I had given Jonathan. Once I said my reply, I saw Jerome lower his hand back down, along with him tilting his head a little to the side. His exterior was anything but serious. There was a pause, before it was interrupted by him.

"Life getting overwhelmingly hectic for you?" Jerome asked me, his voice was completely ebullient. He gave me another one of his ever so charming smiles. "Is school getting too rough?" He questioned, sounding and acting more vivacious with me.

His jaunty demeanor, along with the questions he asked, might have been annoying to others. But not to me. I liked how carefree he was. The complete opposite of me. And you know what they say, opposites attract.

Besides, he actually made me laugh. A real genuine laugh came out of me. Just like with the smile he got out of me not that long ago. His presence and vibrant attitude was making me feel so much better. I didn't even feel this relaxed when I was at school. Not even when I was with Jonathan. The pain in my neck was even gone and I wasn't even fidgeting right now.

It's funny how Jerome being here, was making me almost forget about everything that happened. _Almost_ being the key word, because I was still heavily aware about what occurred a few days ago. But Jerome's presence was making the unease feelings I had inside, to go away. For right now anyways. But I wasn't going to thoroughly question that. All I wanted to do now, was enjoy the moment I was having with him.

I continued to gaze and smile at him. "Nah, school isn't getting too rough for me."

Jerome kept his smile, but his expression became a bit more curious. "How old are you anyways?" He suddenly asked me.

"Sixteen." I answered and then quickly added, "But I'm turning seventeen in a few months." After I said this, I saw how a pleased expression appeared on his face.

"Hm." He hummed, merrily.

"What about you?" I found myself asking him.

Jerome was quick to answer. "Seventeen, but I turn eighteen in a couple of weeks."

So he was older than me. Not by a lot. Just a year or so. That didn't really matter, right? People this day and age are now dating others who hit double digits with age difference. "You doing anything for your big one eight?" I asked him, a endearing attitude worked its way in me. I gave him a smile. "Anything fun?"

To my surprise, Jerome let out a scoff. His playful exterior changing into one of dour. "Doubt it." He said in a low voice.

"Why not?" I asked, taken back. "I'm sure your family will plan something for you."

"Mother." Jerome replied solemn. It was like the word mother was something difficult for him to say out loud. "It's just me and her and I doubt she'll plan anything for me."

Something in his tone of voice lead me to believe there was more to the story between him and his mother. But I didn't want to pry into his personal life and seem pushy. I did however give him a tenderhearted expression.

"Well then how about you and I do something for your birthday." I said it with the best intentions, but I said it with out really thinking it through. It was only when Jerome gave me a brief bemused look, that I understood what I did. I hurriedly then began trying to salvage the awkward damage I created.

"I mean, uh, unless you don't want to do anything. Then that's fine. We can just sit and do nothing together. Unless of course you don't want to be with me because it's your birthday and you don't want to spend it with some girl you barely know..."

Wow, did I talk a lot.

Never have I ever talked so much and fast before. I seriously wanted to hide under a rock right now. I however managed to find courage and looked at Jerome. I saw that he had a amused expression set on his face, but despite this I was quick to apologize for my off behavior.

"Sorry, you must think I'm being weird." I said while internally fighting the blush that wanted to cover my whole face.

There was complete silence, with me and Jerome only looking at each other. He then shrugged his shoulders.

"Maybe, but you know what?" Jerome asked me as if he were about to tell me a huge secret. He then taking me by surprise, leaned towards me and got closer. A lot closer. He was now maybe only one or two inches away from my face. His closeness left me feeling all mushy gushy on the inside. Especially with the way he was attentively looking at me. His sea green eyes looked directly into my blue ones. Which of course had me more mesmerized with him. He was quiet for a few seconds, letting the anticipation of his answer fully affect me. He then let a kosher smile appear on his face before he finally spoke _again._ "I like weird." He ended up telling me, as he started to slowly lean away from me.

 _WOW._

I had definitely been affected by his face being close to mine. My heart was beating like crazy and my stomach was doing all sorts of twists and turns. I guess these would be classified as "butterflies" in my stomach. But what really had me displaying my fondness for the red head, was my cheeks. Since once again, I felt my cheeks start to warm up. Meaning I had lost the internal battle with my blushing.

Jerome, by obvious reasons noticed this right away because his smile became more razz like towards me. He gave me a once over with his sea green eyes. "You know something else?" He asked me, his voice full with that buoyant allure I was beginning to like more and more. "You look extra cute when you blush. The color suits you."

I was really taken back by his compliment. And of course, being the silly girl that I was, I blushed...again. "Uh, thanks." I bashfully replied back to him. I shyly tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. When I did this I noticed how he was ardently gazing at me. His staring was just making me feel more flustered within myself.

"Although..." Jerome suddenly drawled on, making me slightly tilt my head at him. I saw how he had on a thinking face. He suddenly perked up, causing me to straighten up my posture again. "I also like you in purple." He now told me with a bright smile. "Like that dress you were wearing the last time I saw you. You sure looked pretty. But by the looks of it..." He said looking me over again, as a glee like expression appeared on his face. It was the same one that had me enthralled by him. "I think being pretty is just a permanent thing for you, gorgeous."

I felt two things after he told me this.

The first was flattery.

I felt flattered because he thought that I looked pretty...then and _now_. Plus, he called me gorgeous... _again._

The second was astonishment.

I was astonished that he remembered what color dress I was wearing the day I met him. He either has amazing memory skills, or he just played real close attention to me. I like to think it was because of the second reason, but I went for the formal choice instead. "You must have a good memory."

Jerome's reply was one filled with utter magnetism. "I only have a good memory when it involves things or people I like."

That reply had me pulled in. I was falling for his trap and I didn't even know it...

Having been affected by his charm and compliments, I kept my soft gaze on him.

Jerome then spoke, breaking the quaint daydream I was having of him. He gave me another one of his smiles. "But anyways gorgeous, if you really want to celebrate my birthday with me, I'd be fine with that. I certainly wouldn't mind the company." His sea green eyes shined with merriment. "How about next Friday we meet up here again? We can discuss birthday stuff and just talk, get to know each other more."

"You mean like a date?" I blurted out without thinking...again. I never learn.

Jerome much to my fortune, nodded his head. "Yeah, exactly, a date. You and me. Next Friday, let's say around five o'clock? I'm still gonna be around here, so it should work out. What do you say, gorgeous?" He asked me, waiting for my answer with a smile on his face.

Next Friday? I had no idea if I had anything planned for next Friday, but if I did then I was going to cancel it, because there was no way I was going to pass up an opportunity like this.

"Okay, next Friday, here at five o'clock." I repeated back to him and I had no doubt he could hear my excitement within my voice.

Jerome beamed a delighted expression towards me. "Next Friday it is." He then gently grabbed my right hand and kissed it exactly the way he did the last time he saw me. He let go of my hand and then got up from the seat next to me. "Until then!" He announced his goodbye to me and then walked out the door, leaving me in a state of happiness.

I was so enraptured by what had happened, that I didn't even notice Susan who had brought over the pie to me.

No, I was too busy thinking about Jerome and about the date I was going to soon have with him.

My first _real_ date.


	12. Chapter 12: 3x14 sneak peek

**_Disclaimer:_ **_I do not own Gotham or any of the characters. I only own my OC._

 ** _A/N:_ **_I wasn't going to do this, but after this weeks episode how can I not? So without further ado, here's a sneak peek for 3x14. Since it's during season three, and I'm planning on changing directions with the **POV o** nce we hit season two, this chapter will be in **3rd POV.** Hope you guys enjoy it._

 ***Warning*** _Mentions of pass self-harm, Clinical Depression, and pass abuse, and brief thoughts about attempted suicide within this chapter._ _Yeah...it ain't pretty :/ and I'm sorry if this bothers you. But like I said before, the further along we get into the story, the more **Winifred** is going to go through emotionally and physically. And this is season three, so...she's been through a lot up to this point. Anyways, with out further ado, here's the sneak peek!_

* * *

 **Chapter 12: 3x14 Sneak Peek**

Winifred couldn't believe it.

At first she thought she was having a dream.

Or should she say nightmare...

But no this was _real._

 _He really was here with her._

 _Jerome._

He was alive and well.

Except she really couldn't say he was well...he's never been well.

No he was crazy. No matter how much he denied it.

But he really was with her.

The only difference being that his face was now _stapled on._

It had been removed thanks to that Dwight guy.

Now she's not gonna lie, when she first saw him with his reattached face, she was shocked. But not disgusted...even with a stapled on face she was still heavily affected by him. No matter how much she wanted to deny it.

Like right now.

She had been captured by him. Surprise, surprise...

What she didn't expect was for him to take Bruce as well. She had seen the teenage boy when Jerome had brought her to this circus of his.

Circus of torture is what she called it.

But now here they were. Just the two of them.

 _Alone._

She made sure to stay her distance once he brought her inside this secluded room of his. She hadn't even said a word to him after he got her. She was even avoiding his gaze. It wasn't because of his face though, but because she knew she would grow weak if she just looked at him.

She heard Jerome let out a huff and she could practically imagine him rolling his sea green eyes.

"You can't ignore me forever, gorgeous."

Winifred just looked at the wall ahead of her.

Jerome however fake pouted, coming closer to her. "Aren't you even happy to see me? Don't you want to say anything to me? Hmm?"

Actually yes there was one thing she wanted to say to him. Something that gave her the courage to finally look at him. Hopefully she would remain strong. "Let Bruce go." She said with a hard voice.

Jerome got a livid expression immediately after hearing this. He already hated the Wayne boy, but his hatred for him grew even more now that he knew that his Winifred cared for him. He never liked sharing her affections with anyone. Not with her friends or family. The only person she should truly care for was for him. No one else. Still he managed to control his sudden anger and instead gave her a tight smile. He shook his head at her. "No can do, gorgeous. Brucie, is the main event after all."

Winifred's eyes widen and just as she was about to say something else, Jerome quickly interrupted her.

"So a year goes by and what do you know? I miss _a lot."_ Jerome said with a loud feverish voice. "And a lot of interesting things happened during my absence."

Winifred didn't like the sudden topic of conversation. The bravery she had gotten faltered, and she looked away from him again.

"Like for example, Theo Galavan being killed. Twice!" Jerome laughed. His laugh had been more raspy since coming back to life. "Boy, would I have killed to have seen that!"

Winifred remained calm, but then he said something that unnerved her.

"I also heard about your father."

Winifred looked towards Jerome and saw how he staring right at her.

"Apparently he went all text book sociopath, huh?" He then scoffed. "Figures."

She had no idea why she gotten the need to explain. Maybe because she wanted to fully tell Jerome about what happened with him. Sebastian. Maybe she wanted to prove to the red head that talking about him didn't affect her. Even though that was a huge lie. Just thinking about that man made her anxious. Either way, she responded back to Jerome.

"He's at Blackgate." Winifred admitted to him, her tone of voice taking a turn for the worst. Her emotions were getting the better of her. She felt stupid now. She should have known better. She always sounded like this whenever she talked about _him. Sebastian._ Her father...not that she would ever call him that again. Especially not out loud. Despite him being locked up, the memory of that man, and what he tried to do to her was still a very triggering subject.

Much to her relief silence filled the room. She glanced at Jerome and saw how he had his head tilted at her. He was smiling but she could tell it was half-hearted and his sea green eyes were narrowed at her. He looked as if he was contemplating something.

"Good old Dr. Thompkins told me." Jerome suddenly said. When he saw her bemused expression he decided to be more elaborate with what he was trying to say to her. The smile he had on his face fell. "About what he _tried_ to do to you." He told her with a heavy amount of disquietness. Then again this really shouldn't be a surprise to him. This was _his_ Winifred after all. And even after coming back from the dead, he still held strong... _feelings_ for her. Dead or alive, he knew that was never going to change. Not after everything they've done together. Emotionally and physically. They were bonded, whether she liked it or not.

Winifred's face became white as a sheet. Her eyes, despite her not wanting them to, were beginning to glisten. "She _―_ she _told_ you..." She said, her voice wavering with emotion. Even though this whole situation she was in with Jerome was chaotic, she didn't want him knowing what happened between her and that _man._

Jerome nodded his head. "Hmm, she sure did. But don't be too mad at her. She didn't really have a choice. I mean, I did have a gun on her." He said lightheartedly. "Besides, I knew your _good_ old daddy was a ticking time bomb. Never did like him anyways. Guess this means I don't need his blessing anymore, huh?" He laughed after saying this, but his laughter came to a halt when he saw how downhearted she looked. Her pretty blue eyes that he loved so much were becoming more and more watery.

His chest tighten and he had a desperate need to make this stop.

"Don't worry, he'll get what's coming to him _soon."_ Jerome said with a low threatening voice. His face twisted with a determined expression. "No one gets away with trying to hurt you. _No one,_ you understand?"

Winifred wanted to laugh and retort something back to him. His comment about him not letting anyone get away with trying to hurt her was an ironic thing for him to say. Since he had indeed hurt her in the past. Not in the same way her father had tried doing to her, but Jerome was still one of the main reasons for her depression. He hurt her emotionally with his lies and innocent facade. She gave herself wholeheartedly to him and he in return broke her into pieces. He destroyed the trust she gave to him. Ripped it apart along with her heart and ultimately he ruined her as a person as well.

He was the reason why she didn't want to get up in the morning. Why she no longer truly smiled or felt happiness. Why she gave up trying to live her life to the fullest. Why she became a former shell of herself like her mother. Why she was diagnosed with Clinical Depression. Sure there were other reasons for that, but _he_ was the one who made her hurt herself. The memory of him haunted her. His betrayal changed her. It took almost a year to feel like her old-self again...and now here he was. Alive. All the progress she made went down the drain. She just wanted to sink into darkness and never wake up. And maybe this time nobody would get to her in time. Because she just wanted to stop feeling like this. All of this was too much. He was too much...

She pulled her jacket tight against her body and looked away from Jerome. The red head was quick to notice this.

"Now here's one thing I don't understand." Jerome said tilting his head at her. His sea green eyes closely took in her form. "What's with all the layers? I knew you were conservative before, but this is just ridiculous. You trying to go for a whole nun look or something?" He asked her with a condescending attitude, but deep down he was really curious to know. Why did she have on all these clothes? Nothing but her neck and up was really showing. This both bewildered and for some reason made him feel agitation. He came closer to her until he was towering over her. "Just what are you _hiding?"_

Winifred's heartbeat began to pick up pace. "I'm not hiding anything." She said trying to sound firm, but her voice betrayed her. Having Jerome this close to her again was making her lose her composure. He saw right through what she was trying to hide from him. She no longer could hold in her tears, and her wall of guarded emotions fell apart. She lowered her gaze when she felt the tears run down her face. She didn't get to look at the ground for long, because she felt his cool fingers gently lift her chin towards him. He looked at her with a smile, but it wasn't a full one.

"You always were a bad liar." Jerome said placidly. He let go of her chin and instead tugged at her jacket. "Come on, show me."

Winifred backed away from him. "No." She said shaking her head. She really, really, didn't want him to see what was underneath.

Jerome followed her. " _Winifred."_ He said more firmly to her. His expression soften when he saw her crying face again. He reached and gently wiped the tears that were on her pretty pink cheeks. He stared into her blue eyes, and then spoke in such a doting way that was only meant for her. "Show me." He asked again, while caressing her face.

Winifred wanted to say no again. She wanted to push him away and fight him off. But she knew couldn't. No matter how much she hated Jerome for what he's done to her, there was no doubt that she still cared for him. That those caring feelings were indeed something known as _love._ Despite all this time, the red haired boy still had his hooks in her. He was under her skin and she couldn't shake him off.

And by the looks of it, she had a feeling he already knew what she was trying to hide from him. Maybe Lee told him, but most likely not. He would have for sure brought it up from the beginning. No this was something he wanted to find out for himself. And he wasn't going to stop bothering her until she showed him.

So with sigh and somber expression Winifred slowly backed away from Jerome. Having put some distance between them, she proceeded to take off her jacket. Then the other jacket she had on and then her sweater underneath. Up until she was only in black her tank top and her long past knee navy colored length skirt. But she didn't have to remove anything else, because _they_ were now visible.

Her scars.

The self-inflicted scars she had.

They were all over her shoulders and down both of her arms.

Jerome noticed this right away. They weren't bright red anymore and it didn't look like she had any recent ones. But she still had scars all over.

This was new to him. The last time he had seen her with this little amount of clothes had been on that night. That meaningful night. The same night when she gave herself to him and back then her skin had been untouched without any kind of injuries. So this...this was indeed shocking for him to see. Had she really been so down in the dumps because of his absence? Some part of him was happy because of that. But another part...the more human side of him was deeply affected by this new discovery.

Yes, he himself had a scarred face. Or better yet the correct term would be stapled. But since finding out he was alive, Winifred had showed no disgust towards his face. She still looked at him the same as before. With those pretty blue eyes of hers.

So why should he look at her different?

True, he didn't like it that his precious Winifred was covered in scars. But the self-inflicted injuries didn't take away from her beauty. In a way it made her stand out more. Just like his. They were both damaged in a way. He just he didn't like the story behind her scars.

His girl really did suffer a lot during his absence, huh? _Hmm..._

He saw how self conscious she was getting when all he was doing was staring at her. She was putting on her sweater, but he was quick to stop her. He grabbed the sweater from her hands and threw it to the ground. He then took hold of her shoulders, feeling the scars beneath his cool hands. She was avoiding his ardent gaze, and he sighed at this. He rubbed his hands up and down her shoulders bringing her into his arms. Body against body.

Winifred was taken back by this. She was not expecting him to hug her. Not after showing him her scars. She thought for sure he'd show some sort of disgust or even maybe laugh at her. But he didn't do either. He was actually comforting her. And as much as she wanted to throw him off, the feeling of having him hug her was winning over her judgement.

God, it felt great to have his arms wrapped around her again...

In such a loving way.

She let out a content sigh and closed her eyes when she felt him kiss one of her shoulders. Right where one of her scars was at. She arched her back a bit when he started kissing up her neck, and he gently kissed that one special place only he knew about. Her response only brought her closer to him. For second she got a hold of herself, but she didn't stop his advances.

She knew she needed to stop this...but yet she didn't. The fact that he was alive and actually being this loving with her was stopping her from using logic. He had her completely under his spell.

Perhaps it was just vulnerability. Her having a moment of weakness, but honestly right at the moment she didn't want to dwell on it. Right now all she wanted was to just be with him.

She felt his warm soothing breath by her ear and she just tighten her hold on him. Her arms wrapped around his neck.

Jerome let out a sigh. "Oh, my gorgeous, gorgeous girl. What did you do to yourself?" He whispered into her ear. Her response to this was just her hugging him more. He leaned back just a bit, with his arms still wrapped around her midsection. He looked down at her and he gave her a charming smile when he saw that she was now opening her eyes. Blue orbs stared right his own sea green eyes. He lifted one of his hands and twirled a piece of her wavy blonde hair with one of his fingers before letting it go.

"There, there, gorgeous. Turn that frown upside down, hmm?" He said to her before lowering his lips to her own. He got close enough that their lips somewhat brushed against each other. He felt immense joy by how captivated he had gotten her. He rubbed his nose against hers and tightened his hold on her again. "I'm here now and I'm never letting you go."


	13. Chapter 13: Stuck playing babysitter

**_Disclaimer:_ **_I do not own Gotham or any of the characters. I only own my OC._

 ** _A/N:_ **_Glad you guys liked the last chapter! A little sneak peek every one in a while is always fun to read. Even though it was kind of sad. Anyways, here's a new chapter. Takes place during episode 9. The next chapter will be a continuation and will also include episode 10. I already have scenes playing around my head when involving **Winifred** into the episode. Which btw she's also going to meet another red haired character, but it ain't **Jerome**. I'm pretty sure you all know who I'm talking about. Let's just say **Winifred** is going to be slightly creeped out by her. (: _

* * *

_"When you're babysitting a kid, all you're seeing is a version of them, a small dosage."_ _―_ _J.B. Smoove_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 13: Stuck playing babysitter**_

I was in a state of utmost happiness the entire way to Barbara's.

As a matter of fact this was the most happy I've been since the whole Don Falcone incident.

And my contentment was all thanks to a certain red haired boy...

 _Jerome._

I still can't believe I got to see him again. Not only was that hard to believe, but I also had a date with him next Friday.

My _first_ date.

I found that to be so surreal. But it happened. He actually asked me out...and I had said yes.

I've never wanted to yell in joy before, but I was seriously considering doing that during my way to Barbara's.

I didn't of course. That would have probably freaked people out.

Still, I was filled with happiness and excitement. But nervousness played within me as well.

I mean, like I said, I've never been on a date before. I've only ever had guy friends. How was I supoose to act on a date? Or dress like? Was I suppose to do my hair differently?

 _Oh my God..._

 _What if I embarrass myself?_

Oh no, I certainly did not want that happening. Especially not in front of Jerome.

Maybe I could call up Teagan and ask her for advice. She's after all dated before...

Wait, what am I thinking? I could just ask Barbara for help. She's a lot more experienced in that department. Plus, I trust she'd give me good advice on dating.

I have to say though, this whole thing would have been much easier if my mother was here with me. Even if I've never really asked her about dating or boys, she did give out good advice on other things. So maybe her romantic advice would have calmed me down.

Although given her lack of dating, something told me that wouldn't necessarily be true...

Shaking this fretful thought away, I entered Barbara's apartment building. I waited until the one of the many elevator doors opened and I stepped in. I then pushed the button to her floor. Once on her floor, I got out and made my way down the hall. It didn't take long for me to finally reach her front door. I raised the hand that wasn't holding the bag that had the pie, ready to knock.

"Winifred?"

Came a questioning tone. I instantly realized who that voice belonged to. I turned around and right away saw my uncle Jim. I was about to respond back to him, just as surprised, when another voice I recoginzed spoke up from behind him.

"Sup, blondie."

I furrowed my eyebrows and my expression took a turn towards bewilderment when I saw Selina _―_ or should I say Cat? Whatever, I was going to address her as Selina now. Anyways, I was greatly confused as to why she was here. Especially since she was now standing next to my uncle.

I noticed how her hazel green eyes brighten up the more I kept staring at her. I guess my surprised expression must of been an amusing one to her.

"Selina?" I asked out loud.

This got my uncle's attention. "Wait, you two know each other?" He asked, now getting hold of the conversation.

I sighed knowing I should start explaining things to him, but Selina beat me to it.

"Oh yeah, me and blondie here go way back, don't we?" Selina responded frivolously, as she gave me a guileful smile.

My uncle's bemused look grew as he continued to look back and forth at us.

I however kept my expression neutral from her sardonic conduct. I steadied my gaze on my uncle. "We've ran into each a while back." I placidly explained to him. I was smart to leave out the part about Selina giving me directions. Heaven knows he'd only lecture me about getting lost. Hopefully Selina won't mention that either. A question then entered my mind. I gave my uncle a puzzled look. "Wait, why are you here?" Another question then popped into my mind. "How do you guys even know each other anyways?" The second question was the one I really wanted a answer to. I had no idea that Selina knew my uncle. Talk about odd. Perhaps that's how she knew my name when I first met her? But if that were the case then why didn't she tell me she knew him?

I saw my uncle run a hand down his face. He let out a huff. He looked bit hesitant, but after a pause I saw that unsureness slowly go away. "Selina, is a witness for the Wayne case." He earnestly admitted to me. "She's here to give the sketch artist a description of the man."

This made me blink repeatedly. Did I just hear him correctly?

 _She's_ a witness for the Wayne case?

"Really?" Was all I could muster out, shock overwhelming me. This was indeed something unexpected. After a pause I found my voice again, feeling more relief than surprise. I had to remind myself tht this was a good thing. Especially for Bruce. If there was a wintess then that meant they would be able to catch the man who murdered his parents. "That's great!" I exclaimed. "This means you're one step closer to catching the real culprit."

My uncle nodded his head, but he gave me a puzzled expression. "Yeah, now what are you doing here, Winifred?" He asked me.

I lifted the bag that had the pie inside, showing it to him. "Went to the diner and got something for Barbara. I decided to come visit her today. See how she was doing."

"What's in the bag?" Selina asked as she was intently looking at said item.

"Apple pie." I simply replied back to her.

Her hazel green eyes brighten. "Can I have some?"

"Uh, it's for Barbara." I said feeling somewhat sheepish. I felt bad, as it pretty much sounded like a straight up no. I was quick to fix this. "But I'm sure she'll let you have a piece."

Selina merely rolled her eyes.

"Has she answered?" My uncle asked, gaining control of the conversation again.

"I haven't knocked yet." I told him, and as soon as I said this he walked up straight to the door and opened it up with the key he had.

Huh, perks of being Barbara's fiancé, I guess. The fact that he had a key to her place was pretty awesome.

"Barbara?" My uncle asked out loud as he entered the apartment. Selina and I were quick to follow behind him.

"Whoa." Selina said in amazement. I saw how she was looking at the apartment in awe. "Sweet crib. You must be one rich cop." She commented to my uncle as she shut the door behind her.

My uncle turned to look at her. "It's my girlfriend's place." He informed her.

"Where is she?" Selina asked, curious.

"I don't know." My uncle answered before he began to look around the apartment. "Barbara?" He called out again, but there was no answer. I was now beginning to worry a bit. But I decided not to over react. Maybe there was an emergency at her art gallery, or she was out in the city doing a few errands.

"So, what? I get to stay here alone?" Selina asked catching my attention. I could right away hear the hopefulness in her voice.

I was waiting to hear what my uncle would say, but he made no reply. Bemused by this, I turned to look at him. I narrowed my eyes on his form and that's when I realized he was staring at something. I frowned and was about to make my way towards him, when I felt Selina grab the bag that had the pie from me. I was about to chastise her behavior, but she was quick with her response.

"I'm hungry." She said as if that was enough to excuse her sudden actions. She gave me a half-shrug before she walked off towards the kitchen with the pie _I_ bought specifically for Barbara. I let out a huff at her retreating form.

 _Pie thief..._

No matter how much I wanted to take back the pie, I decided to let her have it. Because by looks of it, Barbara wasn't even here. So why let a pie go to waste? Besides...maybe Selina really was hungry? And who was I to take away food from a child.

Feeling a bit more equable with myself, I walked further into the apartment coming to stand close where my uncle was at. I followed his gaze and my eyes finally caught sight of what he was staring at. It was a folded piece of paper. I frowned even more. Was that a note or something? Seeing as he wasn't reaching for it, I was about to reach for it myself, but my uncle got out of whatever daze he was in and beat me to it. He opened the piece of paper and I saw how he began to inwardly read it to himself. Not soon after that his face fell. This caused me to feel concern.

"Uncle Jim, what is it?" I heedfully asked him.

My uncle looked up from the note and I saw how crestfallen his blue eyes looked. He opened his mouth, ready to tell me something, but his cellphone rang. He handed me over the note and I saw him walk off further into the apartment.

All I heard him say was "This is Gordon..." before I moved my attention onto the note in hand. A unhappy expression settled on my face once I finished reading it.

"She left?" I asked out-loud, frowning. Barbara had actually _left?_ So much as without even saying goodbye in person? I mean, sure we weren't super duper close, but I was starting to really like her. Like a lot. And after what we went through together, I thought for sure we'd reached a new level of camaraderie. Plus she's my uncle's fiancée. But she up and left without saying her farewell to either me or my uncle. All he got was a damn note. The note in my opinion, didn't really offer any closure for my uncle. His dejected expression showed that.

I was trying my hardest to not be mad at Barbara. To not let the over-protectiveness I had for my uncle cause my anger to erupt on her. I didn't want that. I didn't want to be angry at her or at anyone.

But despite not letting anger take over, I did feel one emotion get the better of me.

Disappointment.

I was disappointed for various reasons

But the main was one because...

 _She left us._

To be fair, I can understand why. After everything we went through, how could I not? Especially since she had it way worse than me.

And like the note had said, she left so she can get herself together. Which is fine, but I just would of preferred if she said all this to us in person. Rather than in a note. I would have fully supported her and I know my uncle would have too. But she didn't do that...

She just got up and left.

I sighed and with the note still in my hand, I took a seat on one of Barbara's couches.

I really do hope that she would be able to pull herself together. And soon. For my uncle's sake. And mine too. She was after all the only woman figure I had in my life right now. Who else was I suppose to talk female stuff with? Who else was I going to get dating advice from? And I needed dating advice! Especially since I had a date coming up soon.

Plus...I admit, I was already missing her presence.

My thoughts about Barbara came to a halt when I felt the note get taken from my hand. I turned my head and saw how Selina, who was sitting next to me, start to read it. She had a piece of the pie served on a plate she had gotten from the kitchen. She took a bite using a fork and swallowed the piece. She made a _hmm_ sound.

Once again...pie thief.

I nearly rolled my eyes at this.

"Sounds like your girlfriend isn't coming back, huh?" Selina suddenly asked out loud. I could tell it was directed to my uncle, who now was making his way towards us. I guess his phone call had ended already. I saw her tilt her head at the note. "Why she worried about Falcone?" She asked, this time sounding perplexed. She took another bite of the pie.

"None of your business." My uncle said as he yanked the note from her.

Selina gave him a placid expression as she swallowed the piece of pie that she had in her mouth. I could tell she was not at all bothered by what he said to her. She then swiftly put the plate that had the pie next to her on the couch. "So what happens now? You gonna get the charges against me dropped?"

"I will, but you're my only witness to the Wayne murders." My uncle told her as put the note inside his jacket.

This time I saw Selina let out a small smirk. "You gonna cuff me to a drainpipe again?" She asked him.

My blue eyes widen at this. I looked at my uncle in mild shock. "Uncle Jim, you did that?"

"Yup." Selina said answered before he could. I detected a heavy amount of humor coming from her, causing me to stare at her in confusion. Her smirk though remained on her face. "Ask him who ended up smelling like a sewer."

When she said this something clicked. "Wait, that was because of you?" I asked her when the memory of my uncle smelling like a sewer entered my mind.

Selina proudly nodded her head.

 _Well she sure is crafty, isn't she?_

This thought entered my mind as I looked at her in mild reverence. I admit I admired her wily like skills. What I didn't like was that she had used those skills to gain the upper hand with my uncle. Especially since he ended up smelling like a sewer.

I guess my uncle didn't like that she brought that memory up, given the tiresome expression he had on. "No, I'm not gonna hold you against your will. G.C.P.D., juvie, you'd just break out." He told her, and I could tell he was getting exhausted with her demeanor.

Selina on the other hand continued to look delighted. After what he said her smirk turned into a hopeful smile. "So I do get to stay here."

My uncle's expression then became serious. "No. I have someplace else in mind."

There was a sudden knock on the front door and we all turned to look at it.

"That's the sketch artist." My uncle said to Selina. "I need you to describe the man who shot the Waynes."

Selina blinked, flummoxed. "Wait, where am I going to stay?"

I was thinking this question as well. I looked back at my uncle waiting to hear his response.

"Wayne Manor." He said in a obvious way before going to answer the door.

Selina's bemusement expression grew and she turned to look at me. All I could do though was shrug my shoulders, because I too was thrown off by his answer.

Her response to this was her grabbing the plate that had the pie again and taking another bite.

* * *

"You know, I don't get rich people stuff." Selina commented offhandedly as she eyed a vase in front of her. She tilted her head and scrunched her face up a little. "Seriously, you can buy one that looks like this in Chinatown for five bucks."

A smile graced my face as I heard her say this.

After the meeting with the sketch artist was over, the three of us drove over to Wayne Manor. And ever since arriving here, Selina had been either scrutinizing or making nonchalant comments about the decor. But even despite that, I could still tell she was in slight awe by the place.

Right now the both of us were standing in the middle of the hallway, while my uncle talked with Bruce and Alfred in the main room. I had wanted to see the young Wayne boy right away since we got here, but I figured it was best if my uncle talked to him first.

Besides, my uncle had asked me to keep Selina company while he was Bruce. Which in other words meant keep a close eye on her. I practically felt like a babysitter right now. Not that I minded. I mean once getting passed her mischievous and hard exterior, Selina wasn't that bad too be around. Like right now, all she was doing was looking at one of the opulent vases that had caught her attention.

Still despite her attention being on yet another decor item, I decided to finally ask her the question that has been going around my mind ever since encountering her again. And since it was just the two of us, this seemed like the perfect opportunity.

"So...were you ever gonna tell me you knew my uncle?"

Selina merely shrugged her shoulders as she continued to look at the vase. I think I heard her let out a low hum, but I wasn't so sure.

I let out a sigh to her half-hearted response. "It would of been nice to know from the beginning that you knew him. You have no idea how odd I found it that you knew my name without me even telling you. It unnerved me a bit."

At this I noticed Selina's lips curl upwards, forming a small smirk. She gave me a side glance. "I know, that's why it was so much fun." After saying this she focused her gaze on the vase again.

 _So she liked messing with me. That's nice. Glad to know I'm able to amuse her._

"How'd you figure out my name anyways?" I continued to question her. It was obvious that my uncle didn't tell her. His reaction with me and her knowing each other was proof of that.

"I have eyes and ears." Seina replied back, somewhat aloof. "Besides, word gets around."

"Word?" I repeated raising an eyebrow.

At this Selina gave me her full attention. "Ya, you know word? You're related to the homicide detective that supposedly solved the Wayne case. People know about him and now because of that they know about you. People talk in the streets, and I just happened to hear about you on more than one occasion. Plus, you guys have that whole resemblance thing going on, so it wasn't that hard to figure out who you were."

"People talk about me and my uncle?' I asked in unease.

Selina let out a sigh, but I saw how she tried giving me a look of reassurance. "It's just street talk, relax blondie."

 _She's right, I need to relax. Besides my uncle Jim has solved a bunch of cases already here in Gotham. So of course people know about him and a little bit of his personal life, i.e. me. That's why those bullies at school eased up a bit on their teasing. Because they found out who I was related to._

Feeling less anxious, I gave Selina a nodd.

She kept her hazel green eyes on me for a few more seconds before moving them onto the vase again. I could of sworn I saw a bit of concern in them, but maybe not. Who knows? I think the whole "street talk" was still somewhat affecting me a little. Needing a moment to myself, I decided maybe a bathroom break would be fine.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom real quick. You think you'll be okay on your own for a few minutes?" I asked her.

I saw her roll her eyes and heard her let out a scoff. "I'll manage just fine with out you, blondie. Go do your business."

Even though her reply was brusque, I could tell she wasn't trying to be snappy with me. Her little smile on her face proved that.

I returned the smile, but I saw how she picked up the vase with her hands. My smile fell and I gave her a small chastising look.

"Don't break it."

Selina in return threw me a smirk and continued examining the vase with her hands.

I sighed, but relented. I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and hoped she wouldn't break it.

If she did, then I was for sure getting a lecture from my uncle.

I gave her one last gaze before I started making my way to the bathroom. If I remembered correctly one of them was actually not that far from the hallway.

I turned the corner and once I did, I right away came to see Bruce. I halted in my steps and saw him do the same thing.

"Winifred." Bruce exclaimed in that formal voice of his. A delighted expression appeared on his face and his eyes seemed to brighten up as well.

I returned the smile. "Bruce, hey _―_ "

I stumbled back a bit when his arms wrapped around my midsection, and his head leaned against on one of my shoulders. I would think by now that I would have already gotten use to his hugs. But this one had been so abrupt much like the first hug he gave me. I figured he was just _really_ happy to see me. It had been a while since I had seen him. Thinking this as the reason behind his kindhearted demeanor, I just returned the hug.

"I'm glad you're here." I heard Bruce mumble.

At first I wasn't quite sure what he had said, but after a few seconds of trying to figure it out, I was able to make out his answer. This once again bemused me, but I didn't want to overthink it. I shook off the perplexed expression that was on my face and instead offered another smile.

"Well I'm glad to be here." I said ending our hug, allowing him to see how content I was now. I gave him a gentle pat one of his shoulders. "It's been a while since I've come to visit you. How have you been?" I asked him, now crossing my arms over my chest.

"I've been progressing just fine." Bruce replied in resolute. His refined manners coming to the surface.

I nodded my head, pleased. "That's good to hear. How's school been?"

At the mention of school I saw something flash in his eyes, but what he ended up saying to me didn't indicate any tension I might have seen.

"School has been fine as well. But I've been developing my own curriculum here at home. It allows me to move at my own speed and focus on the areas that interest me."

Well that was a thought-provoking answer. Nonetheless, I nodded my head. I was going to ask him to elaborate on that a bit more, but the curious like look he now had in his eyes stopped me from doing so.

"Is she here?" Bruce asked as he tried looking behind me. I immediately knew who he was referring to.

I smiled at how eager he was being. I uncrossed my arms and moved out his way. I then gestured down the hall with my head. "She's over there admiring one of your vases."

Bruce gave me one last smile and look before he started walking to where Selina was at. I was about to continue making my way to the bathroom, but my curiosity won me over. I hurriedly walked over towards where they were at and took a peak.

Right away I saw Bruce and Selina interacting with each other.

Selina had put the vase she was once holding back in it's place and was instead focusing her attention on the boy in front of her. Bruce too was attentively looking at her, but he had more of a awestruck expression set on his face. I had to hold in the giggle I wanted to let out. Truth be told, this sight between the two of them meeting was utterly adorable.

I decided to make my leave when they started to introduce themselves to each other, knowing that I shouldn't keep eavesdropping on their conversation. I once again continued on my way towards the bathroom, but when turning the corner I almost ran into my uncle. Luckily I stopped just in time.

"Hey, uncle Jim." I said as I fixed my posture.

My uncle did the same with his stance. "Winifred, where's Selina?" He asked me.

"Oh, she's down the hall over there." I said gesturing towards where she was. "Don't worry, Bruce is with her. I was just going to go to the bathroom real quick." Although by this point, thanks to hallway interruptions I kept having, I no longer had the need to go to the bathroom. But I kept that comment to myself.

My uncle seemed to relax at my answer. "Okay, that's good. I'm glad they're getting to know each other."

I frowned a bit hearing how rush he sounded. He seemed stressed. More so than usual. But given what's been happening recently, that was understandable. Especially with the whole Barbara leaving situation. Except he also looked a bit impatient right now, as if he had somewhere else to be. I tilted my head, and decided to ask him about this. "What's up? You look like you're in a rush or something."

"I am. I have a meeting with an A.D.A." My uncle explained to me.

My interest piqued. That certainly was news to me. "You mean a District Attorney?" Suddenly something else popped into my mind. "Hey uncle Jim, wasn't your father a Distrct Attorney as well?" I found myself asking him. No sooner when I said this though, I saw my uncle's face fall a little.

"Yes, he was." He replied solemnly.

I immediately started to feel bad. I shouldn't have brought up the topic of his father. If my uncle was anything like me, then I knew the topic of fathers was a messy and emotional one for him.

"So who's this A.D.A. you're going to meet up with?" I asked, deciding to move on with the conversation. I noticed how relived my uncle looked after asking this.

"His name is Harvey Dent." He said to me, and I was quick to store that name somewhere along my mind.

I nodded my head. "Well, I hope everything goes okay."

"Me too, Winifred. Me too." My uncle replied somewhat tiredly. There was a pause between us, and I really didn't know what to say anymore. It wasn't awkward or anything. It was just one of those moments, were neither person has anything to say.

Okay, never mind it kind of was awkward.

I mean It wasn't often when me and uncle endured these kind of moments. I let out a cough and then ran a hand through my wavy hair.

My uncle must have finally caught on because he attempted to give me a smile. "So Bruce was really happy to know you were here." He suddenly told me, ending the silence. And despite the once awkward pause between us, I was still able to detect some sort of good-natured teasing there. This caused me to slightly frown. He noticed this and his lips curled up a bit. "I think he likes you."

Happy there was no awkward silence between us anymore, I shrugged my shoulders, completely oblivious to what he was trying to suggest to me. "Okay, I like him too. He's a good kid." Which was true. Bruce was a good kid. Well behaved and extremely polite. But he was also a boy, who lost both his parents. Life had been cruel and unfair to him. So I had total sympathy and warmhearted protectiveness for him. My thoughts on how I cared for Bruce though faltered a bit when I noticed my uncle's face.

He looked rather amused at me. As if my response had been funny in some way. "No, Winifred, that's not what I mean." I heard him release a low chuckle. "What I'm saying is that I think he _likes_ you. As in he has a tiny crush on you." He ruefully finished saying to me.

A light bulb finally went off in my head, as I now understood what my uncle had been trying to discreetly tell me. I became bashful, inside and out. My cheeks started to warm up due to embarrassment.

" _Oh_."

That was all I could utter out. Besides feeling embarrassed, I was left severely puzzled with this new string of information. I mean in a adoring kind of way, I guess I found this a bit flattering. But come on, how else could I react? This was Bruce after all. The young boy who I now consider like a little brother. The boy who I just wanted to protect from ever getting emotionally harmed again. So nothing except for sisterly like love towards him were being thrown out to the open from me. And I thought Bruce saw me as a sister a well...

So...you see how I find this news extremely awkward?

 _Yeah..._

 _God, things seem more awkward now._

Perhaps my uncle was just messing with me, or maybe he was reading things wrong?

Since I highly doubt Bruce has a crush on me. If anything, I'd say he's already crushing on Selina. Because from what I noticed, the young curly haired girl has already captured his attention. And with the way he was looking at her before I left them alone, I'd definitely would classify his stare as a full on crush stare.

My quietness must have made my uncle think I was taking this rather gravely. Which I wasn't really. There were no stern feelings coming my end. Maybe just bemusement and a bit of shock, but that's it. I saw my uncle though still gave me a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry about it. He's thirteen. It's normal for a boy his age to have a crush on someone who's a bit older than him. He'll get over it."

Although I was now inwardly telling myself to not look deeper into this sudden revelation, my uncle's words did soothe me more. After another silent pause, I gave my uncle a curious look.

"How'd you even come up with the idea about him having a crush on me?" I asked him.

My uncle let out another chuckle, as if he yet again found my question to be funny.

"It wasn't that hard to tell. He was really sad when I told him I had sent you away from Gotham. And with how relieved he looked when I told him you were here, it just adds up."

" _Wait_ , you told him about that?" I asked completely baffled. God, no wonder he had hugged me so abruptly when he saw me in the hallway.

My uncle let out a sigh, faltering the amused demeanor he had. "I came to visit him after dropping you and Barbara off at the bus station. Before the whole Falcone incident." He solemnly admitted to me. My blue eyes widen and I was full on looking at him in sheer shock. My uncle just continued with his explanation. "I wanted to let him know what was going on. Plus, I wanted to apologize because I thought at the time I wasn't going to be able to fulfill my promise to him. With catching his real parent's real murderer." He looked at me attentively, softening his eyes on me. "I didn't tell him about what had happened...about being held by Falcone."

As much as it sadden me that my uncle thought he wasn't going to keep his promise to Bruce, I'm proud that he at least had the courage to tell him face to face. Not many people would have given their time to do that. Especially when their life was in danger. But my uncle did...and that was indeed a bold thing to do.

Nevertheless, I'm glad things were getting back on track again. Given as he now had a witness _―_ Selina. So he can now proceed with keeping his promise to Bruce. Not to mention, I was also glad my uncle didn't tell him about had happened to me. Since I didn't want heedful attention about that incident thrown my way. At this point I just wanted to forget about it and move on. Or at least try to.

"Well thanks for not telling him." I said to my uncle with a small relieved smile on my face.

My uncle nodded his head. "No problem." His expression on his face then turned contemplative. He was quiet again for a few seconds before he spoke. "So listen Winifred, there's something I want to ask you."

"Yeah?" I responded, completely curious with what he had to ask me.

"Since I'm going to be busy dealing with this case, amongst other things, I figured you can stay here. Just for a couple of days." My uncle swiftly suggested.

My eyes widen, taken back by this. "Say what?" I asked, puzzled. I didn't care how foolish I sounded, the shock overpowered my matureness.

My uncle seemed to be fighting off a smile due to my silly outburst. He held it in quite well. "Just stay here, maybe for a couple of days. Help keep an eye on Selina."

"Uncle Jim, I really don't think Selina needs me to keep an eye on her. Besides wouldn't I be just intruding? They already have one guest, why add another?" I asked bashfully.

My uncle was quick to respond. "I talked to Alfred about that. He said it wouldn't be an issue to have you here, since he knows Bruce wouldn't mind. And anyways I think he would appreciate the extra help with Selina." He let out a sigh. "He's not particularly fond of her, and if we want this witness thing to work out we need to make sure Selina stays on board for when the trial happens."

I knew he had a point there. Still I was rather bemused by all this. I ran hand through my hair again and then set it against my side. "So you want me to play babysitter?" I questioned giving him a perplexed expression.

"Yeah, I guess you can say that." My uncle said trying to give me another smile. When he saw how unresponsive I was to this he grew a bit more serious. "Just you know help Alfred with keeping an extra eye on things. Like I said, he'd appreciate it." I then heard him release another sigh. "And honestly, maybe you being here will lessen his aversion."

I was about to give him an answer, when I suddenly remembered something important.

"Okay, well what about school? I can't miss anymore days, you know?"

"Discussed that with Alfred as well. They'll be a taxi available to take you in the morning and one to pick you up afterwards. I'll bring your school stuff and clothes later on today." My uncle easily explained to me.

Wow, they really did think this through, didn't they? I guess Alfred really wanted my help with Selina. And to be honest, I wouldn't mind it. Especially if it meant that I wasn't going to be staying alone at my uncle's apartment when he was off at work. Plus I'd be able to spend more time with Bruce. And despite that whole supposed "crush" reveal, I really did want to hang out with him. So really, this whole staying at Wayne Manor seemed more like a good thing.

I steadied my gaze on my uncle and smiled. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Sure, why not? I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

 ** _A/N:_ **_So...looks like **Winifred** is stuck playing babysitter. I had fun writing this chapter. The **Selina** and **Winifred** scenes are everything. She's honestly like an older sister to her. ***Hehe*** And the small scene with **Bruce** and **Winifred** was so cute. **xD** Don't worry we'll see more of them in the next chapter._

 _Speaking of **Bruce**...Lol..._

 _Did anyone else find it extremely funny how **Winifred** found out about the small crush he has on her. **Jim** of all people had to point it out to her. **LMAO.** The poor girl is so oblivious when it comes to those sort of things. I just had to put that into the story, because it makes sense. Since I think **Bruce** would take a sort of a liking to her. But it's totally one-sided and a temporary innocent crush. Nothing to worry about. **Lol**. Besides, we all know **Bruce** is all about **Selina**. Which is something **Winifred** is going to find adorable in the next chapter. She ships them for sure. **(:**_


	14. Chapter 14: Into the city we go

**_Disclaimer_ : **_I do not own Gotham or any of the characters. I only own my OC._

 ** _A/N:_ **_Sorry for the late update. College life can get really hectic. Especially since I have a bunch of essays and tests coming up. Therefore this chapter will be split into two chapters, meaning the next one will be a continuation for episode 10. Sorry about that. Still I hope you guys like this chapter! (:_

 _ **P.S.** For those who are wondering, **Winifred's** date with **Jerome** is going to be soon. Remember he said next Friday xD So don't worry she didn't forget about him lol_

* * *

 _"No, no! The adventures first, explanations take such a dreadful time." ― Lewis Carroll_

* * *

 ** _Chapter 14: Into the city we go_ **

Life at Wayne Manor was quite calming.

Which really shouldn't have surprised me as much as it did. The Manor after all had its fair distance from the city. A detail I quite liked, if I do say so myself.

Yes, I'm a full on city girl. I was born and raised in Boston after all, but even I have to admit that it was nice to be away from the busy and noisy streets of Gotham. The quietness that Wayne Manor offered was tranquil.

And tranquility was something I wouldn't mind feeling right now. Especially after that whole ordeal with Don Falcone. So I viewed my time at Wayne Manor as a sort of "break." Not a huge one, but nonetheless it was a small break.

True, I still had to attend school _―_ which I was going to go _―_ but an unexpected call that my uncle got from the school stopped me from going. That same call was delivered to rest of the students, and it also stopped them from going as well.

As it turned out, the reason why school got cancelled so abruptly that Thursday morning, was because a pipe burst in one of the girls bathrooms. So the school decided to just cancel classes for not only Thursday, but Friday as well. Why for two days? I have no idea. I guess because that's how long it took to fix a pipe in the bathroom. Who knows, this just meant I was able to stay home (or should I say Wayne Manor) while this occurred.

True to his word, my uncle eventually did drop off some of my stuff later at Wayne Manor. Stuff that included clothes and such. You know, just the main necessaries I needed.

As for helping Alfred keeping an eye on Selina and Bruce...well...what can I say? They definitely were interesting to be around. That was for sure. But overall my first day at Wayne Manor was filled with a bunch of random interactions with them. Nothing too serious, just a few small issues.

For starters, my uncle had been serious when he told me about Alfred not being too fond of Selina. As I've come to learn for myself, the British butler wasn't very...um...open with her. Now that's a nice way to put it. Except I knew the real reason why he didn't like her so much. He saw her as a street kid who was just using them for food and shelter. So he didn't have the greatest of trust towards her.

In a way I could understand Alfred's wariness towards Selina. He after all didn't know her so well, and she was a street kid. Despite all that though, I myself didn't see her as completely untrustworthy. Yes, she was mischievous and had a somewhat of an attitude problem, but she was a just kid. It didn't matter to me if she was a street kid. I didn't know her life. I didn't know about the troubles she's gone through. Whether or not she had a family. All I knew was that she was doing what she could in order to survive. So she had to be smart, cunning, and brave.

Now don't get me wrong, Alfred was still somewhat polite to her. Since it was his job to make sure he was accommodating her well, but there was a sense of passive aggressiveness in his tone of voice he had whenever he talked with her. And it was just with her, because he didn't talk that way with me or Bruce...

Speaking of Bruce...

I tried my hardest to not let the knowledge of him having a crush on me affect my friendship with him. Although now that I knew, I was able to notice how he acted towards me. Courteous as ever, but also bashful. Which really wouldn't have been unusual, if it had not been for me finally knowing the reason behind why he acted this particular way.

Now Bruce didn't know that my uncle told me of his little crush on me. So I for sure kept quiet about that. I didn't want to cause an awkward atmosphere between us. And luckily I was able to act with him as I normally would. Therefore things were fine...well other than me knowing of his crush.

Something else I noticed about Bruce that caught my attention, was all the information he had regarding his parent's murder case. Which is something I discovered on my own when I went into his main study room. He had a board that was covered with a bunch of papers and even pictures.

Pictures that included his parents and even Don Falcone.

It disturbed me a bit. Especially with everything that had happened, but I managed to control my anxiousness. Even with the constant reminder of Don Falcone. It helped that I was away from the city and was instead in the peaceful environment of Wayne Manor. Plus putting aside my uneasiness though, I was actually surprised and impressed with all the information he had gotten on his own. Honestly it seemed like something a professional detective would have put together, like my uncle Jim.

Which now that I thought better about it, Bruce having all this information shouldn't have really surprised me. He after all wanted to capture his parent's murderer. But other than him playing detective, he had been doing other unusual things.

Unusual things such as holding his breath under water and boxing with gloves.

The boxing with gloves was because he wanted to learn how to defend himself. As for holding his breath under water? That I just didn't understand. Neither did Selina. And when we both saw him in his pool under water, to say we were confused was an understatement. I was a bit more worried, but once I saw what exactly he was doing, I calmed down.

Now I don't condone violence myself, but if Bruce wanted to learn how to fight, that was all his decision. Still, I had to agree with Selina on what she told him. That doing things like boxing with gloves and testing out his under water limits, wasn't going to do much help for him out in the real world.

Focusing away from the whole self-defense topic, and moving onto a lighter one, Bruce and Selina had been getting along quite well. Yeah, there were a few bumps at first, but things seemed to be better between them now. It was actually kind of adorable whenever I saw them together. I even gushed a bit when I saw them having a friendly bagel fight. It was probably the most happiest mood that I had seen Bruce in. And I was glad that light brown curly haired girl was able to make him smile.

Another positive note, was that I had been catching up on my sleep. The sleeping pills I bought were working just fine. The kink in my neck was no longer there as well. I was finally feeling better. I was feeling like... _me_ again. Less guarded and less on edge.

Like how I was right now.

I was making my way towards the main living room. I had awoken up a little later than usual, but I didn't mind. I was well rested and after doing my morning routine, I felt refreshed. It helped that I had a really nice and comfortable bed. Seriously it was so soft that I didn't want to get up. I knew that I had to because I needed to help keep an eye out for Bruce and Selina.

I opened the door with the hand that wasn't holding my sketch book. I walked into the room and saw that Selina was in there laying on the couch. I smiled glad to have found her. "Hey." I said making my presence known.

"Sup." Selina said as she got up into a sitting position.

"What are you doing in here?" I asked as I took a seat on the couch across from the one she was sitting at.

"Just chillin." Selina said nonchalantly. "What about you?"

I pointed to my sketch book. "Was gonna sketch for a bit in here."

Selina looked at my sketch book with intrigue. "You draw?" She asked me tilting her head.

I nodded my head. "Oh, yeah. It's a hobby of mine."

"Can I see some of your drawings?" Selina asked me.

I pulled my sketch book to my chest, a little protectively. "Oh, no...sorry."

Selina furrowed her eyebrows. "Why not?"

"It's nothing against you or anything." I quickly went to say to her. No doubt I sounded like a complete fool. I took a second to fix my voice. "I'm just a little self conscience about my art work."I said to her a little more slowly.

"Right." Selina scoffed.

"No, seriously. I am. I don't show a lot of people." I said putting my sketch book on my lap. I sighed though when I saw the look of displeasure she had. Clearly me saying this wasn't making things better. "I have a sketch of you." I admitted to her. In hopes that would make her displeased expression go away. "I drew it after when you first helped me out."

Selina's eyes gleamed. "Really?"

"Yeah. Maybe, I'll show it to you later." I said to her with a smile. "When I finally get the courage."

"Alright." Selina replied, taking in my response.

"So, where's Bruce?" I decided to ask Selina.

Selina huffed as she leaned further onto the lavish couch. "Doing his morning studies."

I nodded my head in sudden realization. This was a normal routine for Bruce to do. He did some of his school work in the morning and then again later on in the afternoon. Like Bruce had told me before, he had own at home schedule to follow for his schooling. Sometimes he did his lessons in here, or in one of the other rooms the Manor had to offer.

That's a pretty bracelet." Selina said tearing me away from my thoughts. I noticed that she was looking at piece of jewelry that was around my wrist.

I used one of my hands to gently touch my bracelet. A smile graced my face again. "Thanks, my mother gave it to me."

"Hmm." Selina hummed.

At the mention of jewelry, my eyes landed on the barely visible necklace that had around her neck. It was peeking out of the black leather jacket she was wearing. I ever curious about the necklace. It made me wonder why she hid it so well. "I've noticed the necklace you have." I said out loud.

Selina's hazel green eyes immediately moved onto me after I said this. She narrowed them. "Yeah, and?" She questioned with a hard voice.

Her response sounded like she was on immediate defense. Like her emotional walls were up. I knew about having emotional walls, so I decided not to pester her anymore on this topic. I shook my head. "Nothing, I was just curious is all."

There was silence between us after that. Awkward silence. I inwardly scolded myself for being the cause of this. Things had been going so well between us, and I just had to ruin it. After a few seconds of us being quiet, I was relieved to hear Selina release a sigh. I looked towards her and was right away surprised to see her how her eyes had soften.

"My mom gave it to me, alright?" Selina with an evened tone of voice. Although she sounded well put together, I still able to detect a sense of vulnerability in her voice. A type of vulnerability only another emotional hurt person would be able to hear. And it was then that I was able to come to some sort of understanding with her.

I once again touched my bracelet. "My mother gave me this bracelet...before..." I trailed on, my voice lowering with dismal.

"Did she die?" Selina asked, looking empathic.

I quickly shook my head. "No, she's just sick." I said with a doleful expression. "But she's getting the help she needs now."

There was silence between us again, only this time it wasn't awkward. It was more compatible type of silence.

"My mom's not dead either." Selina ended up saying, once again breaking the silence. I steadied my gaze onto her and saw how her expression was one I could describe as soft right now. "She's just not here is all." She earnestly ended up saying to me.

I gave her a sympathetic look. It was sad that neither of us had our mothers in our lives. At least not at the moment anyways. I wanted to ask her about her father now, but knew that was too much of a personal question to ask. However, it was still nice to know more about her though. In a way, this information about her gave me a more of a understanding on why she was the way she was.

The soft expression that was on Selina's face was going away and that hard exterior of hers was coming back to the surface. I acted quick on this. "So how's midnight?" I hadn't asked her about the cat before, but now that it was just the two of us again, this seemed like a good time to do so. Plus maybe the conversation would keep things from going into awkward silence again.

Selina made a surprised face. "You remember him?"

I had to smile by how taken back she sounded. "Of course I do."

Selina took a few seconds before she answered me. "He's fine." She said shrugging her shoulders. "Just been roaming around the city. Doing cat things like any cat would."

I stifled a laugh when she said that. "Well that's good to hear."

"Yeah..." Selina muttered.

"So have you eaten yet?" I asked her. Concern was clear as ever when I asked her this. "If you haven't, then I could help you make something."

Selina furrowed her eyebrows. "I thought you were going to sketch?"

"Well yeah, but if you haven't eaten then sketching can wait till later." I said putting my sketch book next to my side on the couch. "So what are you in the mood for, huh? I'm sure if we're extra nice Alfred won't go all sour on us for using the kitchen." I said laughing now.

Selina kept quiet as she stared at me. After a few seconds of her just gazing at me, she threw me a bemused look. "Why are you so nice to me?" She finally asked me.

I was a litte taken back by her question, but I shrugged my shoulders. "Because I can. What? Do not like me being nice to you?"

"It's not that." Selina said shaking her head.

"Well then what's the problem?" I asked, not at all understanding her.

Selina rolled her eyes. "You're _too_ nice." She bluntly clarified.

At hearing her say this, I frowned. 'What do you mean?"

Selina let out a sigh and leaned a bit forward from where she was sitting. "I'm gonna tell you the same thing I told Bruce earlier. So listen up, blondie." She steadied her eyes directly onto mine. Her expression held absolute seriousness. "You're nice." She said, her voice becoming hard. "But in you're case, you're _too_ nice." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Which means you're _soft._ And being soft isn't gonna do much for you out in a city like Gotham."

After she said this to me, Selina got up from the couch and left the room. Without even throwing me another glance.

I was left completely speechless. My mouth was slightly agape and my eyes were wide from what she said. I overheard her say something similar like this to Bruce the other day, but I didn't dwell on it. After all, they had been getting along better. But now that she said it again, and this time to me, I gotta say it left more of a impact.

It felt like a sting. Except it didn't hurt me physically...it just made a unsettled feeling grow in my stomach.

I twirled the charms my bracelet had as let what Selina said to me sink further into my mind.

Was what she said true? Was I really too nice of a person? And if I was, then did that make me weak?

* * *

A few hours had passed by since my conversation with Selina.

I had actually managed to sketch in my book for a while after she left. Although it was pretty hard to fully concentrate on my sketching. Since I was still heavily baffled by everything she had said to me. I wanted to bring it up to her, but by the time I saw her again it looked as if she had forgotten about the whole ordeal. And when we were by ourselves, she just gave me a look that said "no" every-time I was close to bringing it up the topic, so I didn't push. I guess that whole speech about me being too nice was just a one time thing.

Besides all that though, everything else was fine.

I caught up with Bruce after my sketching session. He, Selina, and I had lunch together outside. I actually helped Alfred with preparing the food. Despite his efforts of him asking me nicely that I didn't have to, I still did. I really didn't mind. The kitchen was an environment that I liked being in. And the Wayne Manor had a lovely kitchen. Anyways, back to the point, Alfred and I made pasta. Chicken bow tie pasta to be exact. Red and white sauce. And if I do say so myself, it came out delicious. I was also happy to know that Bruce and Selina liked it.

Anyways, once we finished with our lunch, the three of us went into the main room, and it was then I suggested that we watch a movie. Bruce was all for it, while Selina seemed a little reluctant to do so. That was until we all came to an agreement on which movie to watch. Now I was fairly surprised by the movie collection Bruce had. For how mature he was for his age, I would have thought all of Bruce's movie collection would be on the sophisticated side. Don't get me wrong though, some of the movies he had were, but there was a few that reflected back to how young he really was.

Which is how we ended up watching the movie, _The Princess Bride,_ with a fresh bowl of popcorn.

The movie was a true classic. Not to mention, it was of my favorite movies, and as I've come to know it was one that Bruce liked too. So I was very happy to re-watch it again. It was like an escape from reality for a little while for the three of us. Plus I admit it was great to see how much the movie had caught Selina's attention. I could tell how much she was liking it. No matter how much she would deny it every-time I would quietly jokingly bring it up while we were watching the movie. Each time I did so, all I got was a handful of popcorn thrown at me from her. That was actually quite funny and it made me and Bruce laugh out loud. I was even able to get a glimpse of her smiling for a brief second.

After the movie was over, Bruce, Selina and I went are separate ways. The two of them went somewhere else in the Manor to hang out, and although I needed to keep an eye out for them, I decided to let them have this moment together. I couldn't help it. I just found them so adorable together. Plus it was important for them to spend more time with one another. Especially since Selina was the witness for his parents murder. It just would be better if they reached a form of friendship between them.

Anyways, since they were off hanging out, I went to check up with Alfred and asked if he needed any help. Once again though, the British butler didn't want me working, but I still managed to worm my way with helping him wash the dishes. After I finished washing the dishes, I went to then help Alfred with dinner, but that's when he politely escorted me out of the kitchen. I had to smile when that happened. It really was just a funny scene.

Now that I was out of the kitchen, I decided to go find Bruce and Selina. I figured interrupting them now wouldn't be so bad. I was after all sort of the babysitter. So I started walking down the hallway. I was merrily humming to myself, basking in the good when I was in. I stopped my humming though when I turned the corner and almost ran into Selina. Thanks to her quick reflexes though, she caught herself just in time.

"Selina." I said smiling, it fell a little once I saw the semi-annoyed look she had on. "What's wrong?" I asked her.

"Nothing." Selina said shaking her head. She then steadied her gaze on me. She crossed her arms over her chest and let out a huff. "You're older than me, so you shoud know. Are boys still just as dense when they're your age?" She curiously asked me.

 _Well that's a random question..._

Why was she asking me this? Did this have something to do with Bruce? I think it did. If so, what caused the question to be brought up? What exactly happened between them?

All these questions were running in my mind, that I couldn't form a real reply. I furrowed my eyebrows. "Uh..." I awkwardly uttered out.

"Because when you tell a boy to kiss you, they kiss you right?" Selina asked, continuing on with her rant, completely disregarding how out of place I sounded.

This made me go blank. I blinked several times. _Kissing?_ How the hake did this conversation move onto kissing? Oh, wow...was she talking about her wanting to kiss Bruce? Yes, I found them adorable together, but hearing her say this still somewhat shocked me. I just continued to probably look like a fish out of water. "Uh..."

Selina uncrossed her arms and threw them in the air. "I mean, how obvious do you have to make it?" She asked, exasperated as she put her arms back to her sides.

I averted my eyes away in embarrassment. "I don't know..." I sheepishly mumbled.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Selina asked.

I didn't even need to look at Selina to know she was giving me a expression that held disbelief. I understood why though. She assumed because of my age that I was...um...experienced in that department. Except I wasn't. Yet she didn't know that...so... what was I supposed to say? That I'd never kissed a boy before? She was expecting me to give her advice, but I can't give her any advice because I've never kissed a boy before! Plus I knew nothing regarding why males acted the way they did.

I was completely useless.

Just as I thought I was going to go red with embarrassment, the door bell rang. Catching Selina's attention, and momentarily forgetting the question that she had asked me. She walked passed me and made her way towards where the stair railing was at.

 _Saved by the bell..._

I thought to myself as I let out a relieved sigh. After doing that, I quickly followed behind her. Once by the stair railing, I saw that Bruce was there as well. Both him and Selina weren't looking at each other but they instead were looking down where the front door was at. They both had on curious expressions, and truth be I did too. We all wanted to know who was at the door.

We all heard the door open, and unknown woman's voice filled the air.

"If you could call an ambulance..."

"Where exactly are you hurt?" I heard Alfred ask. There was more low whispering between him and the woman, but it wasn't until they came further inside that the three of us finally saw them. From where we were at, I could see there was blood on the woman's head. My eyes widen. Oh my God. What happened to her?

"Alfred, is everything alright?" Bruce worriedly asked him.

"No, master Bruce, this lady has been involved in a car accident." Alfred answered.

 _A car accident? O_ h no. I walked a bit forward in concern. "Miss _―"_ I started to say, but I was suddenly cut off when I felt Selina's hand grab onto my forearm. I stopped with my movements as well and gave said girl a quizzical expression. Except it faltered when I noticed the troubled look she had in her hazel green eyes. This right away had me worried, because I have never seen Selina like this before. Something was not right...

It wasn't until I gazed back towards the injured woman that I finally understood Selina's reaction. The woman no longer looked like the hurt victim, but instead look like a person with malicious intent. What had my alarms going off in my head though was the way she staring at Selina. The woman had on a full predatory gaze.

Now I knew why Selina had stopped me...

Caution was now on my mind.

So with Selina's hand still on my forearm, I discreetly grabbed onto Bruce's and the three of us started to slowly back away from the stair railing. Once we did this though the woman's gaze harden.

"Run!" Alfred suddenly yelled as he too noticed this. He right away knocked the woman down to the floor once she tried making her way towards us.

We didn't have to be told twice, because the three of us booked it, and we ran down the hall. The sounds of people getting hit though could still be heard as we got further away from them. This made me on edge because I didn't know whether or not Alfred was the one getting hurt or not. I could only hope he was okay. He had to be...

Although I was worried for Alfred, I had to remain calm and focus on making sure Bruce and Selina were okay. The three of us were stilling hurriedly making our way down the hall until Bruce lead us into a room.

"This better be a way out." Selina said as she looked around the room.

"The old servants hallway, it's through the closet." Bruce hurriedly informed us as Selina opened said door he was pointing at. When she did this though, Bruce shook his head. "We need to help Alfred."

"There's no time." Selina exclaimed as she dragged Bruce inside. I was quick to follow and shut the door behind me.

We when ran down this secret hallway until we made it to another door. Which lead to one of the roofs outside patios. The three of us were quick to notice that the only way to get further way was to jump off the roof. Selina didn't think twice and was the first to jump. I went second and was glad to find out it wasn't that high of a jump. Bruce was the last one to jump. After that the three of us continued to run. I however stopped when I glanced back to see that Bruce had gone still and was gazing back at the Manor.

"Bruce!" I yelled. When he didn't respond, I glanced back towards Selina. "Selina wait!"

This caused the young girl to stop her running and to look back towards us. Once she saw what Bruce was doing she came forward a bit. "Bruce, come on!" She yelled and luckily she was able to get his attention.

"Alfred might be hurt. I can't leave him." Bruce said in worry.

"He told you to run." Selina in a short tone.

Bruce however remained still. So I came closer towards him. "Bruce, I know you're worried, but we have to go." I earnestly said.

"But..." Bruce trailed on in hesitation.

"Fine." Selina blurted out. "You two can stay, but I'm out." She said before taking off.

The sounds of gun shots going off made me and Bruce jump in place. This time I grabbed onto Bruce's hand and pulled. "Bruce, we gotta go! We gotta go now!"

The gunshots, and the oncoming foots steps manged to get through to Bruce, because he allowed me to pull him forward, and the both of us took off running towards the direction that Selina went.

* * *

I've never minded running before. To tell you the truth, I was actually rather good at it. Back when I used to take P.E. for my Freshmen and Sophomore year in high school, my running time for the mile used to always be under seven minutes. And I would also be one of the students to finish the run first. So I'm pretty sure if I hadn't made cheer-leading at my old school, then I would have been on the track team instead. Although it had been a while since I've gone out to run. So I wasn't as fast as I used to be...not to mention I was wearing flats!

Of course, when one is running for their life, that tends to give them extra adrenaline. Which is something I was rather glad about right now. Since that extra adrenaline is what gave me the strength and motivation to keep going. Although like I said it didn't help that I was wearing flats and to top it all off a dress as well.

In my defense, it's not like I knew the day was going end up like this. I mean, it astonished me how downhill the day had quickly gotten. I mean, one second we were fine. We were even safe. The three of us had even watched a movie together, but now here we were running away from people, who what I guess had malicious intents towards us.

Why? I had no flippin' clue. Maybe it had something to do with Don Falcone, but that didn't make sense. I mean, he let my uncle and I go. Plus why go after Selina and Bruce? That just didn't add up. So it had to be because of something else...

Now catching up with Selina wasn't really that hard. Despite her running off first, we had managed to keep up with her.

The three of us had been nonstop running for who knows how long now. All I knew for sure was that we were very far away from the Manor now. In fact we were so far that we were beginning to see city buildings. After a few more minutes of running, the three of us finally stopped, rested for a bit, and then started walking instead. Things between the three of us had been quiet, and the only reason why I hadn't said anything yet was because I was catching up with my breathing.

Oh how I wanted water right now. My throat felt all weird and sore from all the running. It's been a while since I've had this sensation, that I had almost forgotten about this extra side effect that I got from doing consistent running.

"We need to call Alfred." Bruce said, finally breaking the silence between us. He was walking next to me, while Selina was slightly ahead of us. I turned my head to look at him. Now even though he was being formal with his suggestion, I could still hear the concern he had in his voice.

"You see any phones?" Selina retorted, as she kept walking forward.

Despite knowing she was being sarcastic, I still gazed around the grassy field around us.

Bruce did the same. He gaze lingered longer before I heard him let out a sigh.

"No..." Bruce said in a low voice. However, after a few seconds of silence I noticed him straighten his posture. "Perhaps we should go back to my house. If the police are there, we'll know it's safe." He spoke up again, this time raising his voice a bit.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Bruce." I gently inputted my opinion to him. "I think maybe we should keep walking, and once we're in the city we can use a payphone and then we can call the police, and my uncle Jim."

Selina scoffed at this. "Yeah, right." She glanced over her shoulder to look at both Bruce and I. "The police and your uncle Jim will make it safe?" After she said this she once again faced forward.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, generally confused, if not a little offended. Selina though just ignored my comment and I frowned.

"We have to contact the police at some point." Bruce said, but once again Selina said nothing. I heard his voice raise a little. "Someone tried to kill you." He said in worry.

Selina stopped her walking and she quickly turned around to face us. Bruce and I halted in are walking, and that's when I distinctly saw her give Bruce a bemused expression. "Me? Nobody knew I was there. It's your house. Someone wants to kill you. Duh. Or maybe blondie here." She said pointing at me.

After she finished saying this, I gave her a ' _you're not funny'_ type of stare. Cause really, she wasn't. What Bruce said though lingered in my mind. Had someone really wanted to kill Selina? But why?

A light-bulb then went off in my head.

Someone must have known she was witness for the Wayne murders. But how and who? As far as I knew this information was supposed to be on the down-low. So how had someone gained this information?

I bit the inside of my cheek. Maybe this wasn't the reason why...maybe there was another explanation. But really, what other explanation was there?

Bruce too looked severely confused. ""Why would anyone wanna kill me or Winifred?" He asked Selina.

Selina shrugged her shoulders. "Must be all that lame detective work you're doing." She said then and tilted her head. "Paid off good, huh?"

No, that couldn't be the reason why. Right?

I noticed Bruce looked upset by this. I right away gently patted his shoulder, in attempt to lessen his worry. I stopped though once Bruce said he was okay.

After this Selina came to stand on the other side of him. She then gave him a reassuring smile. "Cheer up." Selina said, and nonchalantly bumped shoulders with Bruce. "We're cool. We lost them."

Bruce however remained looking apprehensive as he kept his gaze towards the city ahead of us. "I'm worried about Alfred." He finally told us, in quietude. Despite his calm demeanor, I was still able to make out his uneasiness due to his anxious filled expression. I tried my best to comfort him, but he was too crestfallen to listen to my words.

"Relax." Selina said soothingly. "Once I get you two safely hidden in the city, I'll find you guys a phone."

I felt relieved because that had managed to get a reaction from Bruce. He lifted his gaze and looked at Selina. I could now see he was surprised by what she said. I had to admit I was a little too. "Yes, thank you. I appreciate your help." He said his face relaxing a bit from his worry.

Selina tried to look aloof, but I could tell despite her nonchalant attitude that she took in his words dearly. "Hey. Just trying to be nice." She simply said. She threw me a smile before she started walking forward again.

I furrowed my eyebrows.

I thought back to the conversation she and I had. Doing this just left me even more confused though, because I had no idea what to think anymore. So me being nice wasn't a good thing, but her trying to be nice was?

Huh?

I honestly had no idea. I let out a loud huff.

This caused Bruce to throw me a semi-confused and worried look. I gave him a smile and said I was alright.

We then were quick to follow behind Selina.

* * *

No sooner than later, the three of us finally made it into the city. Where exactly in the city? I didn't really know. I was not familiar with this part of Gotham. I think it was downtown. Near the more shady area of Gotham. I right away didn't necessarily feel safe here, but having Selina with us made me feel slightly better. Although she was a kid, she was smart. She'd know which ways to go and which ways not to go. Bruce and I were still following behind her, walking down the side walk, when my eyes landed on something useful. "Guys." I said pointing to said item. They both followed to where I was pointing at.

"There's a phone. Come on." Bruce exclaimed first as he ran towards the payphone. His sudden excitement faltered when he saw that the little sign that said you needed to pay for a call. He looked towards Selina and I once we were next to him. "I don't _―_ I don't carry coins." He stuttered a bit. "Do you guys have any coins?"

Selina shrugged her shoulders. "Nope, not a dime."

Bruce turned to give me a hopeful look. "Winifred?" He softly asked me.

"Yeah, I have a quarter in my pocket." I said as I tried looking though my cardigan pockets, but my fingers found nothing. I frowned and continued to look for that quarter. I pulled both pockets out and I was thoroughly shocked to see I had no quarter in neither in them. I gave him a apologetic expression. "Sorry." I could have sworn I had quarter in here...maybe it had fallen out when I was running.

"Sucks." Selina commented. I looked towards her and saw she had on playful smile on her face. This made me frown, but she simply kept her nonchalant behavior. She then moved her gaze onto Bruce."Why does Alfred matter so much?" She asked, sounding genuinely curious. "He's just your butler."

"He's my family." Bruce vehemently retorted back to her.

Selina sighed but tapped his shoulder with her one of her hands. She showed him the quarter she was holding. I gasped and threw her a hard look. "Is that my quarter?" I asked.

Selina' lips curled upwards at my question.

Bruce though quickly took the quarter and put it in the coin slot. I huffed and averted my eyes away from her. I decided not to make a big deal out of this. It was just a quarter after all.

"Good luck, to the both of you." Selina suddenly said. I quickly turned back towards her and saw how she was beginning to walk away from us. "See you guys around, maybe."

What the heck? She was leaving us? Just as I was about to react to this, Bruce beat me to it.

"What?" Bruce said in alarm. He hung up the phone. "Wait!" He called out faltering Selina's walking.

"Look, those bad guys were there for me." Selina said to the both of us. She appeared to be serious with what she was saying. "Not you or Winifred." She let out a sigh. "You two have nothing to worry about. So go home."

Bruce frowned. "But you said _―"_

"I was just trying to freak you guys out." Selina said casually. "I was playing around."

 _What?_

"You were playing with us?" Bruce asked sounding appalled that she had actually admitted this. He came closer towards her and I followed. "That's kind of cruel, isn't it?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "He's right, Selina. That wasn't very _nice_." I said emphasizing the last word.

Selina threw me a look before rolling her eyes. "Yeah, I know." She let out a huff and gazed towards Bruce. "Look, you're right about me. I'm not nice. Not like blondie here." She said gesturing one of her hands towards me. "Or you." She said softening her stare on him. "You two have a nice way about yourselves."

 _Again I have to repeat...what?_

Bruce furrowed his eyebrows. "A nice way?" He repeated.

"Yeah." Selina said shrugging her shoulders. "That's why I said that thing about you two being targets. So we could hang out awhile longer."

That's why she said that? She couldn't have just said she liked spending time with us?!

I kept my hard stare on her while Bruce blinked a couple times. "I see." He said after a few seconds of silence. His demeanor calmed down and a neutral expression set on his face. "That's a very convoluted reasoning."

Selina made a confused face. Which no doubt was because of what he said. "Whatever." She said before she started walking backwards again. "Anyhow, it's been cool. I'm gonna disappear."

"Selina!" I yelled this time and she surprisingly stopped walking.

"You can't." Bruce went on to say.

This time Selina was quick to snap back. "I wasn't asking." She said with a hard voice.

"Selina, you can't just disappear on us." I said earnestly.

"Winifred is right. You can't leave because you have to come home with me." Bruce said rather quickly. "When detective Gordon finds the man who killed my parents, you have to testify."

Selina slowly shook her head. "You really think that was ever going to happen?" She let out a low scoff. "Grow up, B." She told him before averting her hazel green eyes on me. "Later, blondie." She said and then quickly ran towards where one of the building ladders was at. She began climbing it and I saw how she was already almost to the top before Bruce ran after her.

"Bruce!" I yelled and then followed right after him. He really was a fast climber though. Darn. I never would have thought that. I was barely catching up to him, when he finally reached the top of the roof. My flats were making me miss a few steps and my damn dress kept getting in the way. Ugh, this just really wasn't the right outfit to have on right now. Plus, climbing up this alleyway ladder was a lot harder than it looked like in the movies. Out of frustration I cursed a few times in my head, but once I reached the top my eyes widen.

The sight before me was just insane.

I saw Bruce run and jump to the other building's roof top where Selina was at. I was too shocked to even let out a scream. I got out of my daze though when I saw how he had almost fallen. However, I breathed a sigh of relief when Selina got a hold of him.

 _Thank God._

These two, I swear, they were gonna give me a heart attack!

Once fully on the roof, I made my way forward.

"You guys okay?" I asked with a loud voice.

I saw Bruce nod his head. "We're fine."

"So, you gonna jump too, blondie?" Selina asked. I could hear the derision in her tone of voice.

"Uh, how about I just go down the ladder and use the other one to meet you guys there." I suggested whimsically. Bruce nodded his head while Selina just laughed. I however ignored her laugh as I made my way back towards those damn alleyway stairs again.

Now I had no idea how this day was going to end, but there was one thing I knew for sure...

I sucked at babysitting.

* * *

As I had come to find out when catching up with them, Bruce had managed to get Selina to stay with us. How? Well it was thank to that dangerous stunt of his. Apparently rooftop jumping proved he was worthy enough to have her guide us through the city. That he earned it.

Odd...but you know what? I'm not fully complaining. Yes, the whole scene certainly scared me, but I was just glad she was still with us and that Bruce was okay.

Anyways, the three of us were now walking into some abandoned building. I guess it was a secret hang out place or something. Selina was ahead of us, while Bruce and I were once again following behind her. We were going down some stairs, when I started her rock music playing.

"Why can't I call Alfred? Or why can't Winifred call detective Gordon?" Bruce asked Selina as we continued to make our way down the building stairs.

"Because we're disappearing." Selina replied back. "You gotta be like smoke." She glanced over her shoulder. "Smoke doesn't make phone calls."

I took in her words as finally made it to our destination. The rock music had gotten louder now and I got a whole view of the place.

I was thoroughly awed. I mean, whatever this place was...it was huge. There was kids of all ages hanging out. There were all sorts of entertainments around as well. A Foosball table, pool table, I even saw a few old arcade games too. If it had not been for the overall abandoned setting, it could have almost been a hang out place like Nickel Nickel, Boomers, or even a mall.

"What is this place?" Bruce asked as he too looked around the place in wonder.

"The flea. It's like the mall for street kids without the crappy music." Selina said explained nonchalantly, as we made our further into the place. "We'll be safe here until dark."

I was glad to hear that. A smile worked its way on my face as we continued walking. However, it faltered when I felt like someone was watching me. I let my eyes wander around until they caught sight of the culprit. It was a girl. A girl around Selina's age. She was mousy looking, and her hair was red. lt was a lighter shade than Jerome's, and it looked tangled and unkempt. She was also wearing old jeans, and a raggy green and black stripped sweater.

Now I was never one to judge someone based on their clothing or on how they looked. That would be rude. Except this girl... there was just something that made me heedful of her presence.

I think it was because of how she was looking at me.

Even though she had her fair distance from me, I could still make out how she was staring at me. Or should I say glaring at me...why? I had no idea. Her hard stare was starting to really freak me out...

"Come on." Selina said, finally drawing my attention from the girl who was distressing me. "You and Bruce seriously need a wardrobe change." She said as she lead us towards what looked like changing rooms.

Happy with the distraction, I looked away from the red haired girl and instead focused forward.

Except even though I was no longer looking at her, I still felt her eyes on me.

* * *

I've never really been a fan of dark colors.

I've always liked bright colors instead. You know blue, purple, yellow, and even pink.

But right now, I was glad to be wearing jeans and t-shirt. Even if they were in dark colors. Seriously after all the running I did today, I was considering now maybe having a few jeans a t-shirts thrown into my closet and drawers. Plus if I do say so myself, I liked how the black skinny jeans, and simple grey t-shirt looked on me.

This place sure did have nice taste in clothing.

I was even offered sneakers.

Sneakers!

Black sneakers, but like I said the color didn't matter. I was just happy that I no longer had to wear flats. Don't get me wrong they were cute, but my feet were staring to hurt in them. These comfy sneakers were much better for my feet.

After I finished changing, I folded the clothes I had before and exited the dressing room. I right away saw that Selina waiting outside. I let out a cough making my presence known. I gave her a smile, if not a sheepish expression.

Selina nodded her head. "The new and improved Winifred." She commented facetiously. "Definitely better."

I rolled my eyes, but kept my smile. "Thanks. Now what do I do with my stuff?" I asked as I held onto my red dress, white cardigan, and black flats.

"Here." Selina said holding out her hands.

I handed her my items, but was shocked when she threw them to the side. "Hey!" I protested.

Selina just waved her hand. "Believe me, blondie. You're better off with out them."

"But _―"_

"Just trust me. Besides, do you really want to be carrying them around with you?" Selina asked raising an eyebrow.

Darn. She had a point there. "No..." I muttered.

"That's what I thought." Selina replied back.

After that the two of us were interrupted with Bruce coming out from the changing room he was in. Like me he was now in a new set of clothes. Dark colored clothing that included a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and new shoes as well.

And just like she had done with me, Selina nodded her head. "Much better." She said giving him a look of approval.

"Really?" Bruce asked, unsure. "I'm not sure."

"The dark colors suit you." I said giving him a smile. Which was true. He looked good in black. After I said this, I saw how he shyly returned the smile back.

"Yeah, plus you look bad-ass. No lie" Selina also reassured, causing a pink tint to cross his cheeks. She might have not noticed this, but I did. I managed to control my giggling, as she took his other clothes and threw them to the side. Much like she had done with mine. Unlike me though, Bruce made no objection to this.

"Hey, Cat." A sudden girl's voice filled the air.

Whatever lightheartedness I was feeling went away and for some reason I felt my stomach twist a bit.

Selina quickly turned around. "Ivy." She exclaimed and then walked towards where the voice came from. Bruce and I followed behind. My eyes widen a bit. I was surprised to see Selina actually hug the red haired girl who had been staring at me. But what surprised me even more was the hugging part. I mean, she was hugging her... the same girl that for some reason made me feel uneasy. Were they friends? Yeah, they had to be friends.

What are you doing here?" I heard Selina ask her. "What have you been up to? I thought _―"_

Ivy ended the hug before she finished her question. "Yeah, juvie caught me. I got adopted upstate."

"Didn't take?" Selina asked.

Ivy shrugged her shoulders. "Good people, but they wanted me to cut my hair, dress nice..." She drawled on.

"I know you." Bruce suddenly said catching the red hair girl's attention. "You're Mario Pepper's daughter."

I let out a very low gasp, and I was ever glad nobody heard it.

She was Mario Pepper's daughter? The same Mario Pepper who had been framed for the Wayne murders? Oh...

I now felt sympathy for the girl. I mean, she lost her father for a murder he didn't even commit. But there was something about her. I don't know what exactly, but whatever _that_ was, just made me wary towards her. Something deep down within me was telling me not to let my guard down around her. So I wasn't going to. But even though I had my guard up, I was still creeped out by her. Even more so now that she was right in front of me. Except she wasn't glaring at me like before. She hadn't even looked at me yet.

Ivy's face became firm. "Yes, who are you?" She questioned Bruce. Her sudden change of voice made my blue eyes widen a bit. It sounded so hostile now. None of that somewhat civil tone she had for Selina was there anymore. From where I was at, I could see how Selina was giving Bruce a small shake of the head, but he must have not seen it.

"I'm Bruce Wayne." He said, introducing himself. Almost immediately after he said that, I saw hate begin to grow in Ivy's eyes.

"Yes, you are." The red haired girl seethed. "Billionaire Bruce Wayne." Her sudden hatred then suddenly turned towards me. Okay...now there's the look from before. I was still thrown off by this, but I tried my best not to show it. "You..." Ivy said narrowing her eyes on me. "You look _awfully_ familiar." Her eyes then harden. "Have we met before?"

I gulped under her scrutinizing stare. "No." I managed to say to her.

Ivy still looked unconvinced. "What's your name?"

"Uh..." I uttered lamely.

"Her name's Freddy." Selina quickly answered.

Ivy scrunched up her face. "Freddy?"

Selina nodded her head. "Yeah. A girl with a guys name. Go figure."

Despite the answers Selina and I gave, Ivy kept her hard stare on me. " _Hmm."_ She hummed. I right away could tell that she didn't really believe us. Except technically I wasn't lying to her. I have never met her before. My resemblances to my uncle must have been what made her think she knew me. Sure she must have heard of me. After all, Selina said people in the streets talked, but I guess Ivy hadn't seen a actual picture of me. Therefore, she hadn't connected the dots yet. _Thank God._ Meaning she didn't know who I really was. So I was glad Selina was able to save my butt with that whole fake name thing. Because this red haired girl gave me a serious case of the heebie-jeebies.

"Stay cool now, Ivy." Selina interjected calmly. I let out a breath of relief when she said this. Although it was short lived since I saw Ivy move her glare onto her instead.

"I am cool. Why are you telling me what to do?" Ivy questioned with attitude.

I could tell Selina was bothered by how Ivy was being. But by bothered I didn't mean she was annoying her. No, Ivy was also unnerving her like how she was doing with Bruce and I. "I'm not. I'm just saying I don't want you to get mad at them. They're both friends of mine." She calmly told her.

"Why would I get mad at them?" Ivy asked angrily. "It's not his fault, is it?" Her glare solely focused on Bruce now. "Did you kill my father? Did you make my mother cut her wrists?"

N-no." Bruce stuttered shaking his head.

"What about you?" Ivy asked me. Her cold stare was now on me.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Uh, no." I slowly answered her.

"Well somebody did." Ivy said bluntly. "Somebody did, but not them." She tilted her head at Bruce. "How are you doing? You doing okay?"

Despite him being freaked out by her, Bruce managed to nod his head. "I'm okay. And you?" He asked her.

"I'm doing great. How do I look?" Ivy asked him.

Creepy, is what I wanted to say, but I was quick to scold myself for thinking that. Even if it was the truth...

"You look good." Bruce replied back politely. Oh Bruce...ever the gentlemen.

"Have you seen Clyde the fence around?" Selina asked, getting control of the conversation. Which I was ever thankful for.

"Yeah. He's working out of the factory on the Narrows." Ivy said keeping her gaze on Bruce. "He's cute, isn't he?"

If it weren't for how creeped out I was right now, I probably would have smiled. But I just kept my expression neutral and remained quiet as ever.

Selina halfheartedly laughed. 'Yes, he is. Thanks, Ivy. Good to see you." She said before grabbing a hold of Bruce's and mine arm. She began to pull us forward as we started walking. "Oh, we gotta go run and see Clyde."

"Oh, okay, fine." Ivy faintly said from behind us. "Bye then.

"Keep moving." Selina told us once we were way from Ivy. It sounded as if she was giving us a warning of some sorts.

"She's just a little girl. Why are you so scared of her?" Bruce questioned her.

"Because she's scary." Selina said in a firmer voice as she turned him to face forward again.

I gulped at that as I kept walking, because Selina was right.

Ivy was _scary_.

* * *

 ** _A/N:_ **_Wow, what a chapter. And we're only half way through episode 10. So what did you guys think? Did you guys like the interactions between **Winifred** , **Selina** , and **Bruce**? I'm telling you they sure are fun to write! Plus we got to read about **Winifred** meeting another read head, **Ivy** **xD.** The girl sure did creep **Winifred** out. And it's no surprise the plant loving girl didn't really take a liking towards her. I plan to expand their scenes later on in the story, especially in season 3 when **Ivy** has that whole age transformation. _

_Don't worry they'll run into each other a few more times in the story before that happens. By season 3 you'll definitely see a change on how they act with each other. **Poison Ivy** is one of my favorite female villains, so I for sure want her and **Winifred** to have some sort of relationship. I like to think they'll eventually have a friendship of some sorts. Right now though **Winifred** is creeped out by **Ivy** and **Ivy** certainly doesn't like **Winifred**. So you guys will see what I mean with how different they'll act with each other later on in the story. ***Tehehe*** Anyways until next time my dear readers!_


	15. Chapter 15: Kinsley Gordon

**_Disclaimer:_ **_I do not own Gotham or any of the characters. I only own my OC._

 ** _A/N:_ **_Alright guys, this here is a very short chapter. Why? Because I had my damn wisdom teeth pulled out and I fell like crap. Jk...well I don't feel like complete crap, but my mouth still hurts a bit. Anyways, I also wanted to write this chapter because it's focusing more on **Kinsley Gordon**. **Jim's** younger sister and **Winifred's** mother. I wanted you guys to know more about her. Before she got sick. I hope you guys enjoy it. The next chapter will resume with the previous events. Sorry for the confusion, but I just wanted to write this chapter since it will be important later on in the story. _

_**P.S.** When imaging **Kinsley** , I like to think of the actress **Emilie de Ravin** as her face claim. Just in this chapter, since it takes places way before the events of Gotham, think of a teen version of her. _

* * *

_"But there's a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother's story, because hers is where yours begin."_ _―_ _Mitch Albom_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 15: Kinsley Gordon**_

Kinsley Gordon wanted to do something with her life.

The once high spirited eighteen year old blonde wanted to do accomplish many things. She wanted to finish her last year of high school and then go to a four year university. She wanted to major in business, graduate from university, and then take some time to travel around the world. She wanted to also find love. The kind that was honest and far from being harmful. Not the kind of love she was unfortunate of experiencing for herself. She didn't want to ever experience that kind of love _―_ if it could even be called love _―_ ever again.

The young blonde over achiever also wanted to pick somewhere other than Gotham to live and open up a business of her own. The farther away from Gotham the better. She had no idea what kind of a business she wanted to run yet, but anything would do. She just wanted to have something to be in charge of.

A place where she would have complete control.

Unlike now.

She had no control whatsoever.

As she was sitting down on the toilet inside one of the schools bathroom stalls all of her dreams were now crashing down in this very moment. With her right hand holding onto the one thing that would reveal whether or not her life was about to change. Absolute dread filled her entire body. Her feet wouldn't stop tapping due to anxiousness.

"Kinsley." Came a sudden knock on the bathroom stall. "Hey? Are you okay?"

Kinsley let out a breath due to how concerned her friend Molly sounded. Despite her trepidation she spoke up. "I'm fine, Molly."

"Okay, just checking." A few seconds passed before Molly's puzzled voice filled the air. "So...did you pee on it yet?"

As if reality hadn't already set in that question was just a heavy reminder of what Kinsley was soon going to find out. About two minutes soon. The blonde gripped onto the pregnancy test she had in her hand. The results were suppose to show in three minutes but truth was she had already peed on the damn stick. For a whole minute she stayed inside the stall. Refusing to come on out. For some reason being inside the stall made it fell less real...but the thing was what was happening was real. She knew she eventually would have to leave the safety of the bathroom stall.

Kinsley said nothing as she exited the stall. She faced her dark haired friend. Her expression was between a sheepish and frighten one. She put the pregnancy test on the sink counter. Not taking her eyes away from it she quickly washed her hands and then backed away slowly. Her head still counting down the left over minutes before she would know the truth.

From the side, Molly took notice of how her friend's exterior appearance. She threw her a look of consolation. "I know this is a shitty situation for you...but you gotta stay positive." Her eyes widen at how idiotic she just sounded by saying that. "I mean...crap sorry." She hurriedly said when she couldn't figure out what to say to make up for her comment.

Kinsley surprisingly managed to find the humor in that little comment. "It's fine, don't worry about it." She replied with a very tiny smile. It was forced though and Molly was very aware of that. She knew how much her friend was hurting. She grew serious and decided to bring up a subject that was still delicate. "I know you're sad about him leaving but honestly, I'm glad he's gone." Molly admitted to her friend. "He was toxic, Kinsley. All he did was hurt you."

At the mention of _him_ , Kinsley felt tears run down her cheeks. "I know." She didn't like thinking of him. All that did was make her cry and think of all the times he had hurt her. More emotionally than physically. Not that she preferred one over the other. It was still abuse. And she felt regret that she didn't end what she had with him sooner. She should have told someone. Anyone really. Her older brother Jim would have been the perfect person to tell about the abusive relationship she was in, but she didn't tell him.

Why? Well because at the time she was blinded by love.

Or by what she thought was love.

She was too damn stupid to actually see the warning signs.

She was tricked into falling for him. His suave charm and cool demeanor is what caught her attention and once she was in his sights, she was a goner. As time passed with her being with him, she began to slowly see the real him. And she soon found out that what they had was not healthy. It was toxic. Or should she say...he was toxic. The way he treated her was wrong. He wasn't an honest man. An honest man wouldn't have done the things he did to her. He wouldn't have also acted the way he did and then run away when she told him that she had the feeling she might be pregnant. Something she wasn't sure about but was soon about to find out herself.

If there was one thing Kinsley absolutely regretted it was the day she met Sebastian St. Cloud.

He made her feel awful about herself, he lied to her, and he treated her like crap. He said he loved her but it was clear now he was a master manipulator. He got under her skin and knew exactly what to say to her in order to gain control.

In simpler terms, Sebastian St. Cloud was her ruin.

Her first love was a lie. And that's something she never wanted anyone to experience. It's the worst feeling in the world. A kind of feeling that would be able to emotionally destroy a person.

Although Sebastian was no longer in her life the fact remained that she might still be pregnant with his child. And that was something Kinsley dreaded.

"Kinsley?"

Kinsley blinked as she looked towards her friend. "Hmm." She replied lowly, still out of loop.

"I think it's time." Molly told her seriously.

Kinsley got a hold of herself. She was too into her thinking about Sebastian that she had lost count in her head. Her blue eyes focused on the pregnancy test that was on the sink counter. Waiting to be read. Pushing down her anxiety she took a deep breath and then walked towards it. She took a hold of the test and without saying anything read it to herself. From behind her, Molly saw how stiff Kinsley had gotten. That along with how quiet she remained made her concern grow. She walked a bit closer towards her. "What's it say?"

It felt like hours but she knew it had only been seconds. But the more she stared at pregnancy test the more slow everything became. Kinsley took a deep breath before lowering her eyes down. When she did this her stomach dropped more than it already had.

Molly was able to see her reaction a bit better this time. "Kinsley?" She called out her name in worry.

Kinsley slowly lifted her eyes and then glanced over her shoulder to look at her. Her eyes were filled with tears and that was enough for Molly to know what the test result was.

Kinsley lowered the test before she let out a small sob. Not giving her friend a chance to comfort her, Kinsley ran back into the bathroom stall. Once the stall door was locked, she started to full on cry. She ignored her friend's soft knocks on the door and the caring words she was saying to her. There was now only one thing occupying Kinsley's mind.

She knew she had to tell Jim. No matter how much she didn't want to. She couldn't hide this from him. He deserved to know the truth. At least about the pregnancy. Her older brother would be the only person who would help her out now.


	16. Chapter 16: Danger arises

**_Disclaimer_ : **_I do not own Gotham or any of the characters. I only own my OC._

 _ **A/N:** I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter! It's good to know you guys are curious about **Winifred's** mother, **Kinsley** , background. Trust me she will be brought back later on in the story. Until then enjoy this chapter! We will now go into our regular story. _

**_P.S._ **_**Jerome** will be coming back in the next chapter. **(;** Also would you guys be interested in reading a sneak peek for season 3 with **Winifred** and **Jervis Tetch?** A lot of you are curious to see them interact. _

* * *

_"Never fear quarrels, but seek hazardous adventures."_ _― Alexandre Dumas_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 16: Danger arises**_

As rude as it sounded, I was relieved that we were no longer around Ivy's presence. The young red haired girl just gave me the serious heebie-jeebies. After leaving the "flea" Selina was leading us to where this, Clyde the fence guy was at. It wasn't until we were walking through an alleyway though that I caught sight of my wrist. My eyes widen when I noticed that I was no longer wearing my charm bracelet. The one my mother had given to me. The one that meant the world to me.

"Guys, wait stop!" I suddenly yelled, maybe a little too loud, but I didn't really care at the moment.

I saw how Selina immediately became defensive. "What's up?" She asked as she warily looked around us. Her body stance appeared to be ready to act upon any intrusion heading our way.

Too focused with my personal problem, I didn't tell her it wasn't a life serious situation. As I mentioned this charm bracelet meant the world to me. "My bracelet." My voice wavered as I spoke. "It's gone."

With a puzzled expression, Bruce came closer to me. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"I think it fell off." I answered him as I began to look around the ground. I lifted up my gaze to look at both of them. "Help me look for it." I asked them. "It has to be here somewhere. I mean, I had it on when we were at the flea."

By now Selina's ready to fight stance had faltered. She was giving me a incredulous look. "Are you serious?" She let out a huff, shaking her head. "Sorry, blondie, but we can't stop to look for your precious bracelet."

"But my bracelet..." I gently protested, a frown making it's way towards my face. "I can't just leave it. My mother gave it to me..."

Selina narrowed her hazel eyes at me. " _Winifred_." She firmly said to me. She must have seen how crestfallen I looked over my bracelet though, because after a few seconds of staring at me, she softened her expression. "Look, I'm sorry, but we need to keep moving."

Bruce gave me a sad expression. "She's right." He said softly to me. "We can't linger here for long."

As much as I wanted to continue protesting and keep looking for my charm bracelet, I couldn't. I knew they had a point. I couldn't risk our lives for a piece of jewelry. No matter how much it meant to me.

 _I'm sorry mother..._

With a sigh I nodded my head, finally letting Selina lead the way again.

The urge to keeping looking over my shoulder keeping pestering me in my head, but I fought against doing that. I need to keep up with Selina and Bruce and focus on going to our next destination.

Soon enough we finally made it to another old looking warehouse. The three of us entered it and once inside we saw how there was people scattered around. Except all of our attention was drawn to the desk that was in the middle of the room and the man who was behind it.

"Cat! My babe!" The man exclaimed. I'm gonna assume he was this Clyde person Selina was looking for.

Selina gave him a single nod of recognition. "Hey, Clyde."

Clyde looked at her _―_ or should I say at us _―_ thoroughly. "Well, what have you got for me?"

Walking forward, Selina reached into her pockets and dumped all the belongings she had inside onto the desk.

I furrowed eyes brows, immediately recognizing the belongings. So did Bruce. Which made sense...they were his things.

"Hey!" Bruce shouted.

"Shh." Selina shushed him.

"Wow." Clyde said in awe as he examined the items Selina had put on the desk. "Sweet swag. Not your usual junk."

Selina shrugged her shoulders. "I'm moving on up."

"Where'd you get this?" Clyde asked holding an expensive looking watch.

I saw Selina throw him an impatient look. "You want the story or the swag?"

"How much?" Clyde asked her.

"A thousand bucks." Selina quickly answered him.

Clyde immediately started laughing. "Please, give me a break."

I noticed Selina narrow her eyes at him. "That's rock bottom. You know it is."

"Fifty bucks." Clyde replied to her. It took a lot to not berate this man. I didn't like the way he was speaking to Selina. It was obvious to me how he wasn't taking her seriously. I however wasn't the only angered by this. Judging by the livid expression set on Bruce's face, he was too.

"Fifty?" Bruce asked, irritated. He stepped forward grabbing a expensive looking pen. "This pen is real gold." He informed this Clyde guy before setting it down again. His anger never lessening. "That's an antique jade netsuke. It's worth two thousand on its own."

"And who is this well spoken little dude?" Clyde asked in amusement. He clearly wasn't taking Bruce serious either. I bristled at this. My blue eyes glaring at him.

"Never mind who he is." Selina said trying to his attention away from Bruce. "Look, five hundred is rock bottom." She harden her eyes. "Why are you wasting my time?"

"Relax." Clyde nonchalantly waved her off. "I'm sure we can make a deal." He said getting up from his seat. I noticed how he was looking at us now. With that suggestive gleam in his eyes. Out of protectiveness, I pushed Bruce behind me and made sure to throw a look towards Selina that said, _'Let's get out of here.'_

Selina must have seen it because she slowly started to back away. "No, thanks." She said grabbing all the items back. "We'll go elsewhere."

There's was a bang on the desk, that startled the three of us. Within the next seconds we were being held by the people of the room. I tried moving out, trying to get out of their hold, but it was no use.

"Cool down, Cat." Clyde said, his voice now sounded deadly serious. "Or we'll poke your friends little eyes out." He said pointing towards me and Bruce. At this Selina stopped her own thrashing. "That's it. Relax." He took a hold of her shoulder, firmly. "I've got some friends coming over who would just love to meet you."

My heart raced.

Yet again, I was now in another dangerous situation.

* * *

I now often ask myself how I end up in these situations. The type of situations were my life and the life of others are put at risk. Where did I go wrong? Because to be chased, threaten to be shot, and captured, was something I did not want to get used to. Except something within me was telling me that's exactly what I needed to do. Which was kind of sad...

After that whole conversation with Clyde and being captured by him and his goons, we were then thrown into another room in the warehouse. It old looking and was filled with cabinets and such things that were no longer in use. The three of us knew exactly why were locked in here. Clyde had probably gotten word about Selina being a witness to the Wayne murders and had called the very same people who had chased us from Wayne Manor. Which meant they were on their way. And that meant the three of us needed to act quick on getting out of here.

Never the one to give up, Selina started to investigate the area inside. And soon enough so did Bruce and I.

In a strange way the room they had locked us in kind of looked like a greenhouse. Except you know with out the plants. It had high windows though. Which is what we tried to use in order to escape. Just as we had successfully half opened one of the windows, and were about to climb up to it, the three of us heard footsteps coming our way. With Selina's guidance we hid, and waited silently for the intruder to come inside. Once he did, Selina surprised him by knocking him out, and then the three of us ran out of that room.

At this time our only plan was to find a way to get out of here without being caught. Which meant we needed to avoid any confrontation with these people. That plan though went to ruins when we got split up. Selina one way and Bruce and I together. So that meant there was a change in plans, since it now looked like we were going to fight our way out of here. Or should I say, Bruce and I were going to try to fight our way out of here.

And as if to make matters worse, Bruce and I ran had the luck of running into the lady from before. The one that had gone to the Manor and claim she had been in a car accident. The one that had fought against Alfred.

So yeah...now here we were trying our best to fight her. And how you ask? Well...by throwing pipes. Yup, not the most effective way. Especially since we kept missing! We both needed to work on our aim. Bruce ended up throwing the last pipe, missing the woman, yet again. After we realized we were weapon less, and that the lady was literally climbing our way, Bruce and I made a break for it. I was ahead, but was able to hear when Bruce missed a step from the stairs. Turning around I saw how his leg had gotten stuck in one of the stair openings. I quickly came to his side and pulled his leg out. But by then it was too late. The woman was now in front of us.

I put on my best brave face and shielded Bruce from her. I inwardly started panicking when I saw the gun she was carrying. Flashbacks to when Barbara and I had been captured by Don Falcone and Victor Zsasz started to fill my mind. But for the sake of Bruce and wanting to protect him, I didn't let them get the best of me this time. I remained strong.

The woman lifted her gun and pointed it towards us. Her eyes were filled with no unreadable emotion. "Where's your girlfriend?" I could tell this question was more directed at Bruce, but since I was shielding him she looked at both of us.

Bruce and I very discreetly side glanced to our right, and we saw Selina opening one of the lower windows. Just as we saw her, the curly brown haired girl saw us as well. We held our faces though as we saw her escape.

Was I mad? Heck yeah, but can I blame her? Selina grew up in the hard streets of Gotham. Surviving and escaping from danger was just in her nature. And I had a feeling Bruce understood this too.

"I have no idea." I heard Bruce answer.

The woman moved closer, but I kept my stance. My blue eyes staring, as if challenging her. The woman must have noticed this because I saw her narrow her eyes at me. "Don't me make hurt either of you." The armed woman said with a hard expression. "You two aren't on the contract."

"She's gone." Bruce stubbornly replied back.

Tension filled the air, but much to our shock the woman lowered her gun. This however didn't stop me from protecting Bruce. My guard was still up, especially when she came closer. "Some advice for the both of you, don't ever mistake bravery for good sense." And with that she stepped ahead of us, and walked out. A few seconds later there was a click of a gun ahead of us. At first we were alarmed but then our defenses went down when we saw who it was.

It was Alfred!

He was alright and he appeared to be to unharmed. I knew he was okay!

Alfred had his gun out, but lowered it when he saw it was just the two of us.

"Alfred." Bruce announced in a calm voice as he stood up. "Fancy seeing you here."

Maybe it was everything I just went through, or maybe I was just finally realizing I had a odd sense of humor, but I found the way Bruce greeted Alfred to be quite funny. He was almost killed, yet here he was acting like nothing had happened? That was certainly different. I however didn't laugh out aloud, only smiled. I in no way wanted to ruin this moment of them reuniting with one another to be ruined.

"Are you alright?" Alfred asked as he came closer towards us.

Bruce nodded his head. "I'm fine. How are you?"

Alfred took a look at him and sighed. "You really scared me, master Bruce. If you die...who employs butlers anymore?"

And just like that whatever calm and polite exterior Bruce had, fell away. All I saw how was a boy hugging his butler. Or should I say the man he saw as his guardian...his family. I let them have there emotion moment, but soon enough Alfred looked my away and let go of Bruce. The butler offered me a small smile.

"Oh, Miss Winifred, do forgive me. I believe I got caught in the moment with master Bruce. Are you alright?"

I smiled at how worried he sounded for me. I nodded my head as I stood up. "Yes, I'm okay. I'm glad you're not hurt." I said softly. "We were real worried about you too, you know?"

I saw Alfred's lips curl up. "Yes, well it's gonna take a lot more to get rid of me." His expression became earnest. "Thank you for looking after master Bruce."

"I just did what I needed to do. But I wasn't the only one. Selina helped us out too." I admitted to him. Yes, she had ran out, but Selina did help us out. If it weren't for her, who knows where Bruce and I would be at right now.

Alfred didn't seem pleased when I mentioned Selina. "Yes...but where she now? Left to save her own behind. Doesn't seem like much help now does it?"

I saw Bruce send Alfred a side glance. " _Alfred_."

Alfred cleared his throat. "Yes, very well. We should get going." He said, changing the conversation. He looked my way. "Your uncle is outside waiting."

My eyes widen. "He's here?"

Alfred nodded his head. "Yes, he is."

I didn't have to be told twice. I wanted to full out run outside to where my uncle was at, but I remained calm and walked out with Alfred and Bruce. Once outside though I started to look around like crazy. Where was he? My heart was racing like before, and it calmed down when I heard a very familiar male voice.

"Winifred!"

Any panic I was feeling, went away in that second. Leaving Alfred and Bruce's side, I turned around and my eyes brighten up. There standing a few feet away from me was my uncle. A feeling I hadn't felt all day entered me. I now felt safe. "Uncle Jim!" I shouted. I felt my eyes start to tear up, but I didn't let allow myself to cry. Not now. I needed to be strong. Without even waiting for his response, I ran towards him and threw my arms around him.

Almost immediately did I feel him return my hug. "Thank God." My uncle said in relief. "Thank God you're okay."

I don't know how long our hug lasted, but at the moment I didn't care if we hugged for a few seconds or even minutes. All I really cared about was that I was with my uncle again. And that everything was okay.

For now anyways.

* * *

"But uncle Jim, that's not fair! The mayor can't do that!"

I let out a huff as I watched my uncle pack his things from his desk. Apparently he had told off the mayor about the whole Lovecraft thing. My uncle wasn't even guilty, but the mayor of Gotham was still punishing him. I wanted to give that mayor a piece of my mind for doing this to my uncle. The mayor was a total tool. A useless, pushover, of a tool. Or as I like to call him, he was a jerk face.

My uncle let out a sigh. "I'm afraid he can and he did."

"But still, Arkham Asylum?" Detective Bullock questioned, frowning. "A security guard for nut jobs?"

"Criminal nut jobs, but yeah." My uncle corrected as he continued to pack up his desk.

"So, you're still taking the job?" Detective Bullock asked him.

My uncle shrugged his shoulders. "It's either that or quit."

"So then quit." Detective Bullock said in a obvious tone of voice.

Knowing my uncle, he wouldn't quit. He was stubborn like me. Us Gordon's were just stubborn people in general.

My uncle turned to give detective Bullock a stubborn look. "That's what they want me to do."

Detective Bullock shook his head. "Damn, Jim."

"Whoever your next partner is, he or she will be a lot easier than me." My uncle said. No sooner after he said this a tall shadow figure appeared behind him. We all looked to see who it was. I was left pleasantly surprised to see it was just Ed. I gave him a smile while my uncle furrowed his eyebrows in what I come assume was confusion. "Ed?" He questioned.

Ed shifted his feet, bashfully. He managed to give me a small smile before he gazed back at my uncle. "Detective Gordon. I hear you've been thrown out in disgrace, is this true?" He asked, and then once again moved his eyes downwards.

My uncle sighed, but nodded his head. "Yeah, it is."

I saw Ed lift his gaze. "I'm gonna write a letter to the boss."

"You do that." Detective Bullock added sarcastically.

"Which boss should I write to?" Ed asked my uncle sounding serious.

"Forget it, Ed." My uncle said giving him a small smile. He patted his shoulder briefly. "That's the brakes, huh? You take care." He told him and then offered his hand to him.

Ed stared blankly at his hand before he took a hold of it. He then surprised us by giving my uncle a hug. It was short, but it was a hug alright. He then gazed over towards me. A smile on his face. Before I could even saying anything to him, he walked forward and gently patted my head. Instead of looking at him oddly, I just smiled. This was Ed being Ed. I was now used to him doing this to me. It was his way of showing affection. He patted me one more time before he left, with a spring in his step. Giggling a little I turned towards my uncle and detective Bullock. I saw the questionable looks both my uncle and Detective Bullock were throwing me. I gave them a sheepish smile and shrugged my shoulders. "He does that. It's kind of his thing."

"Right..." Detective Bullock drawled on. I had no doubt in mind he was thinking Ed was a weirdo for doing this. He then looked over towards my uncle. "Maybe you should take him with you." He suggested jokingly. Although something deep down told me he was somewhat serious.

"You'd miss him if he were gone." My uncle replied back to him.

Detective Bullock shook his head. "No, I wouldn't."

"Well, I would." I said raising my hand in the air.

"Of course you would." Defective Bullock said lowly. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him. "Let me buy you a drink sometime." He said to my uncle and then pointed towards my way. "Hell, I'll even buy the girl scout here a nice cold root bear."

A bemused expression appeared on my face. Out of all the times I've been around Detective Bullock this was the first time he was actually being nice and not annoying me. Well he was talking to my uncle, but he offered to buy me a root beer. That was still a positive thing to note, right?

"Soon." My uncle replied before sticking out his hand. "See you around."

Detective Bullock shook his hand. "For sure."

My uncle, with his box of belongings walked forward, but I lingered back.

Detective Bullock noticed this and gave me a single nod. "Winifred."

I returned the gesture. "Detective Bullock."

"Keep an eye out on the boy scout for me, will you?" Detective Bullock asked me.

Yet again I felt touched that he cared for my uncle. Sure he was annoying when he wanted to be, but he cared for my uncle that was for sure. "Will do." My uncle called out my name, and I dismissed myself from Detective Bullock.

Although I had originally not necessarily liked Detective Bullock, I felt we were now moving pass our dislike towards each other.

Perhaps we were making progress.

* * *

"Are you sure, you're okay?" My uncle asked for the hundredth time as we walked inside his apartment.

I sighed, done with his constant questioning. "Uncle Jim, for like the gazillion time, I am okay." I slowly twirled around. "See? I'm unharmed."

My uncle looked at me pointedly. "You could be harmed on the inside, Winifred. You know that very well." He sighed, aghast. "I'm worried. This is the second time your life was put in danger." There was silence between us, during which I saw how somber my uncle looked. "I..." I saw him avert his gaze. "I'm a lousy guardian." He told me as he took a seat on the living room couch. He rubbed his tired face. "God, you could have been seriously hurt...or worse."

"But I wasn't." I hurriedly reassured him. When I saw how he didn't falter from his grim state, I made my way to sit next to him. "Uncle Jim..." I softly called out catching his attention. His blue eyes stared into mine and I saw how effected they looked from what happened today. He looked so exhausted. He looked like a man who hasn't slept in days. All that stress and worrying were catching up to him. I felt for my uncle...I really did. And I felt guilty knowing I was the sole reason why he stressed out so much. "It's not your fault." I admitted. This caused him to frown. I sighed, explaining further. "About being a lousy guardian...because you're not. A lousy guardian wouldn't take care of me like you have done." My voice shook a little with emotion. "Uncle Jim, you're doing the best you can do."

"I can always do better." My uncle answered shaking his head.

"You are." I stressed out.

My uncle gave me a sad look. "Am I?" He asked. He sounded so crestfallen.

For some reason, some part of me wanted to tell him everything that was going on with me. The nightmares, the sleeping pills, the stress, the constant worry about being kidnapped again by Don Falcone and Victor Zsasz, but one look at my uncle, and that idea went out the window. I couldn't tell him those things...it would have caused him more damage. It would have made him feel more worse than he already was. And if there was one person who didn't afford to feel like crap, it was my uncle. After everything he's done for me. He deserved some reassurance from. Even if I had to fib a little.

"I know I've been in some tough situations since arriving here...but I'm fine." I guess that little clarification didn't exactly help because my uncle still had the same expression on his face. Wanting to lighten up the mood, I decided to be funny. Although I should have carefully chosen what to say. "At least I haven't been shot. That's a good thing, right?" I said with a sheepish smile.

My uncle gave me a look of disbelief making my smile go away.

"I should be telling your mother all about this." My uncle evenly told me.

My stomach did a twist. "Uncle Jim, you can't." I hurriedly said. This time I couldn't control the tears that wanted to escape me. I felt one go down my cheek. "You can't. If you do, who knows what that would do to her. She'll freak! And that might ruin any progress she's been making." I took a second to collect myself. I wiped my cheek before speaking again. "I can't do that to her. We can't do that to her."

My uncle appeared to be conflicted. There was a moment of silence with him just looking ahead of him. It felt like forever before he spoke up. "I know, Winifred." He said faintly.

"So then you won't tell her?" I asked. I need to actually hear him say yes or no. Otherwise this would be eating away at him.

My uncle shook his head. "No, I won't. Not now anyways. Like you said, it might affect her progress."

That was a good enough answer for me. "Okay..." I said nodding my head.

My uncle narrowed his eyes at me. His gaze was full with worry. "Are you sure you're one hundred percent without a doubt, okay?"

"Yes." I answered right away. I kept my expression neutral.

My uncle stared at me and for a second there I thought he was about to call me out. He didn't though, he just relented. "Alright, but you tell me if there was something wrong, right?"

I bit my cheek before answering. "Of course."

"Alright, you should go to bed. You need the rest." My uncle said letting out a yawn.

I smiled. as I got up from the couch. "I'm not the only one who needs to catch up on their sleep. Get a goodnights rest, uncle Jim."

My uncle let out another yawn. "You too, Winifred."

I gave him another wave before I head into my room. Once in there I closed the door and locked it. I leaned against the door and closed my eyes. A goodnights sleep is all I wanted now, but who knows if I was going to be able to sleep at all. I didn't have my sleeping pills. They were at Wayne Manor, along with my school backpack, cellphone, and personal materials. I wouldn't be getting them back until tomorrow.

I huffed.

This sucked.

A cool breeze hit my face. I frowned.

I opened my eyes and it was then that I noticed my bedroom window was open.

Huh?

I could have sworn it was closed the last time I was here. I rarely ever left it open.

I would have started panicking right then and there, but then I saw a note on top of my pillow. Add more to the mystery, there was also a bag next to my bed. I had no idea what the hake was in there and I was cautious when approaching it. I kicked it at first, testing out the waters. Yes, that was a silly thing to do, but I was wary. When nothing happened when I kicked it, I decided to open it myself. Once I saw what was inside, a huge smile appeared on my face.

The clothes I had been wearing early were in there! And so was the bracelet my mother had given me! The one I had lost when in the streets with Selina and Bruce. I quickly put on my bracelet. Nothing was wrong with it, it was perfect as ever. Evermore curious about this surprise, I grabbed the note on my pillow and read it.

 _Hey blondie,_

 _Call it a guilty conscience or whatever, but I felt kind of bad leaving you and Bruce behind. So I brought back some of your things. Don't worry, I'll pay Bruce a visit too. Consider this an apology of some sorts. But just so you know, if you tell anybody else other than Bruce about this kind deed, I'll cut those precious wavy blonde locks of yours off while you sleep. I already know how to sneak in without detection, so don't think I'm kidding around. Anyways, I'll see you around blondie. It was fun hanging with you._

 _\- Cat_

 _P.S. That bracelet of yours wasn't easy to find. You're lucky you had someone with my set of skills find it. Try not to lose it again. I know how much it means to you._

I smiled.

Despite Selina's attitude towards me, and pretty much everyone else, I knew she was a good person. Sure she had threaten to cut off my hair if I told anyone other than Bruce about her doing this nice thing for me, but she wouldn't be Selina if she didn't make some kind of loose threat.

I gazed down at my bracelet. My happiness now overshadowed any dread towards sleeping.

Maybe, just maybe I would be able to get some sleep tonight.


	17. Chapter 17: The first date

**_Disclaimer_ : **_I do not own Gotham or any of the characters. I only own my OC._

 ** _A/N:_ **_This chapter has been edited and I've combined chapters 17 and 18 together. Sorry for the confusion! I just thought the story would flow better having **Winifred** and **Jerome's** date into one chapter instead of two. Anyways...enjoy the read...again xD_

 ***Edited 3/01/2018***

* * *

 _"At the first kiss I felt something melt inside me that hurt in an exquisite way. All my longings, all my dreams and sweet anguish. All the secrets that slept deep within me came awake. Everything was transformed and enchanted. Everything made sense." ― Hermann Hesse_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 17: The first date**_

Sleep came that night when I returned back to my uncle Jim's apartment, and thankfully no nightmares came to interrupt my peaceful slumber. I have no idea as to why no nightmares invaded my sleep. I would have thought now that I was away from the tranquility that was Wayne Manor that I would have a harder time sleeping, but no nightmares came.

Despite this momentary sense of peace, I still kept the sleeping pills. They were now hidden away deeply inside one of my drawers. Waiting to be used again, and I hoped I wouldn't need to. Sadly, I had a feeling that I would...eventually.

Anyways, I think the reason why no nightmares came rushing into my mind was because things in my life have been _strangely_ calm.

No new drama came into my life. No extreme dangers were near the horizon either.

 _Well_ other than the fact that my uncle was now a security guard at Arkham Asylum. It's been days now since he started doing his guard like duties there, and I was still not happy about that outcome. My uncle tried lessening my worry though by firmly confirming that he would be alright. That he could handle himself there with the patients, but worry consumed me nonetheless. Except it wasn't for my own safety. I mean, it's not like I was ever going to go there myself. Arkham Asylum was the last place I would ever want to step foot in.

No, I was more worried for my uncle. Even with his constant reassurance.

However right at this moment the worry I had for my uncle was slightly faltered. Why, you may ask? Well it was silly to admit, but right now I was in a panic. A total complete panic because today was Friday.

 _Friday._

As in the day I was going to have my first date...and it was with _Jerome_. In a couple hours I was going to meet Jerome at Rosie's diner and I had yet to figure out what the heck I was going to wear. Hence my panicked state. I was so anxious not even the soft mellow music of _Mazzy Star_ I had playing in the background calmed me down. My wardrobe crisis had gotten so bad I finally told myself that needed to call for help. Unfortunately there weren't many people (well on the female side) that I could call to ask for fashion advice. My mother would have been my first choice for help. This was after all under a mother's territory. In my mind I've always pictured my mother helping me get ready for my first date. Her doing my hair and makeup, giving me advice on what I should wear...but for obvious reasons she couldn't do none of those things.

My next option would have been to ask Barbara, but she too was a dead end choice. I hadn't spoken to Barbara for what felt like weeks now. Ever since she left my uncle Jim and I to figure things out. I had no clue where she even was. Maybe she wasn't even in Gotham anymore. I mean, it was as a strong possibility, but it was one that made feel a mixture of emotions. Sadness and anger being the most obvious to detect.

So because I had a very limited option for female advice that left only one person.

My best friend Teagan.

It didn't take long for my brunette best friend to answer my _Skype_ call. Since then she'd been more than happy to give me her opinions and advice. That was just Teagan for you. God, did I miss actually being around her presence.

"I'd wear the purple one." Teagan merrily announced smiling at the fetching dress I was holding.

I held out the dress further towards my laptop for her to see better. "You sure?" I asked with uncertainty. Don't get me wrong I liked the dress. Otherwise why would have I bought it? I was just now getting second thoughts of how maybe it wasn't first date material. The dress was a nice color purple and it was knee length. It was also long sleeve with a neckline. Which is what caused my unsure thoughts. Now the dress didn't have a super low neckline or anything, but since I wasn't used to wearing necklines of any sorts to me it was rather showy. I frowned slightly and voiced my unsure thoughts to my best friend.

"You don't think it's too showy? Like I'm trying too hard."

Teagan playfully rolled her eyes. "Winifred, it's the perfect amount of showy. Plus you're gonna be wearing a cardigan over it anyways."

That was true. I did plan on wearing my grey cardigan along with my red scarf as an accesory. Besides as I have mentioned to Barbara before I didn't have a large bosom. So really why did I need to worry? And on the more positive side I remembered that Jerome liked my other purple dress he had seen me in.

I sighed, feeling better about wearing the dress. "You're right." I replied nodding my head. "The purple one it is." I laid out the dress on my bed and then turned towards my laptop. "How do I think I should do my hair?" I questioned playing with the ends of my hair.

"Well that's an easy answer." Teagan said, her brown eyes gleaming. "Since it's always wavy I suggest you either curl it or maybe even straighten it."

It didn't take long for me to come to a final decision regarding the style of my hair. "I'll straighten it out." I confirmed my response verbally as I stopped touching the ends of my hair.

"So, are you excited?" Teagan suddenly asked. I saw her lips curling upwards forming a smile. I could understand why she looked as excited as I was feeling. Back when I lived in Boston I _never_ was the type of girl who got nervous because of some guy. Heck, I barely even talked about guys, but now here I was getting ready for a date. My first date.

My cheeks got warm as I once again thought about Jerome. "Yeah." I answered with a low bashful voice.

"You never did tell me how the two of you met." Teagan said tilting her head in curiousness.

Replaying how Jerome and I first met in my head had me feeling butterflies in my stomach. To me that meeting would always hold a special place within my heart. I however tried my best to appear nonchalant to my best friend. I shrugged my shoulders, acting like it was no big deal. "We met at the diner." I simply informed her.

Teagan grew even more elated through my laptop screen. "And you guys are having your first date there? Oh my God, that's so romantic!"

I huffed a little embarrassed at my best friend's response. " _Teagan_."

"I'm sorry, Winifred." Teagan said toning down her animation. Her adoring smile however was still in place. "It's just...I've never seen you this invested in a guy before. He must be pretty special if he's got you this flustered."

"He is." I whispered softly. It dawned on me what I had just said and I quickly cleared my throat. "Anyways, uh, thanks for the help. I really appreciated it."

"You don't need to thank me. That's what best friends are for." Teagan happily answered back. After she said this I noticed her expression become more mischievous. "So, are you ready?"

I was slightly bemused by such question. "For the date? Well now that I know what I am going to wear, I feel more ready."

"No, not that." Teagan said waving her hand. "I mean, for when he kisses you."

My blue eyes widen in surprise. "What?!" I blurted out. Where had that question come from? "Why...why would he _kiss_ me?"

Teagan gave me a weird look. "Because it's a date." She said in a obvious tone of voice. "Why wouldn't he kiss you?"

 _Kiss me?_

That was all I could picture in my head now. Jerome kissing me...on the lips. Now was this a bad picture to have in my head? No, not at all. Was it nerve-wracking and stomach butterfly feeling inducing? Yup. Did my face feel as warm as it looked...probably. Overall, the possibility of Jerome kissing me was certainly affecting me.

Now don't get me wrong, I did want Jerome to kiss me...but I couldn't help but feel nervous. I've never been kissed before in my life. What if I wasn't good? What if I was a bad kisser? Oh my God, what if I accidentally bit his lip? All these scenarios that kept running through my head weren't making my nerves go away. Darn Teagan for bringing kissing up. I hadn't even thought about that until now. Except surely Jerome wouldn't be the type of guy to lay one on me without actually getting to know me...right? My stomach did a flip.

"But it's the first date." I said trying to come up with an excuse as to why he wouldn't kiss me. No doubt I surely sounded lame and inexperienced. "Guys, don't kiss on the first date...do they?" I questioned shyly.

"If he likes you he's going to want to kiss you by the end of the date. Regardless if it's the first." Teagan informed me. Her face grew a bit puzzled once she noticed my silence. "Don't you want him to kiss you?"

I started twirling my bracelet, a nervous habit of mine. "Of course I want him to kiss me. I'm just..." I took a deep breath and let go of my bracelet. "What if I'm terrible at it?" I pushed aside my nerves and decided to ask my best friend.

Teagan's facial expression became soft. "I doubt you'd be terrible at it. But if you're so nervous how about you focus on how much the two of you will have fun rather than the kiss. Besides, maybe I'm wrong." She said shrugging her shoulders. "Maybe he won't try to kiss you."

Now although that had me feeling a bit better, I couldn't deny that it also made me feel a bit disappointed as well.

"I'll leave you on that note. Call me later though to let me know how it went!" Teagan said with lighthearted tone.

I managed a small smile. "Will do."

Teagan gave me a wink. "Have fun!" She sung out before she ended the _Skype_ call. Letting out another round of heavy air I shut my laptop before falling face first onto my bed (I made sure to not lay on my dress).

Once again I started thinking about Jerome and that same butterfly feeling came back. This time I tried my absolute best to not let my nerves get the best of me. However, ignoring that feeling in my stomach was a lot harder than I thought.

It wasn't until _Mazzy Star's_ song _Fade Into_ _You_ started playing on my iPod that I finally got the strength to get up from my bed. As I did this I caught sight of my reflection. I frowned slightly, not happy with my appearance.

That was it. I needed to get ready.

Nerves be damned. I wasn't about to miss my first date with Jerome.

* * *

By the time I reached inside Rosie's diner I noticed it was as busy as it usually was during the dinner time rush. Luckily I saw that there was still an open booth near the far end of the diner. I figured sitting in a roomy booth rather than in a regular table would be good choice—though this decision was mainly based off of all the sappy romantic movies I have seen.

As I walked over to said booth I saw Susan taking another tables order. I gave her a wave and in return she flashed me a quick smile. Once I had taken a seat I let my eyes wander around the fifties retro diner. _Dream Lover_ by _Bobby Drain_ was currently playing around the restaurant, but I wasn't really enjoying the song. My focus at the moment was trying to spot Jerome.

It was already five o'clock the time we agreed to meet and by the looks of it Jerome wasn't here yet.

The first rational thought I should have had was that perhaps he wasn't here yet because he was still on his way. Running late made sense. Except my first thought was anything _but_ rational. No, I immediately began thinking the worst, that he wasn't going to show up. That maybe he came to realize that I wasn't worth his time. As the seconds passed by (seconds that felt like minutes to me) that worthless feeling I was having began to grow more and more strongly.

Until suddenly (much to my relief) that wretched feelings stopped.

"Aren't you a sight for sore eyes, _gorgeous_."

My heart pounded faster against my chest and I felt my cheeks warm up at the sound of _his_ voice. This was now a natural reaction I was starting to get used to whenever he was near me. I stopped the fidgeting with my charm bracelet and quickly I looked up. To my non-surprise my flustered state tripled as my eyes took in Jerome's lively presence.

I had been way _too_ worried about him not showing up that I had actually completely missed his entrance to the diner. Now here he was standing in front of me. And Jerome was looking just as handsome as the last time I saw him. I took in his outfit and the butterflies in my stomach started to go wild inside me. Jerome's outfit consisted of him wearing dark jeans, a dark grey and blue sweater, and nice looking brown shoes. His custom like outfit along with his flaming red hair just made his sea green eyes stand out more.

I was suddenly relieved that I had decided to wear the purple dress (even if I didn't have the top _assets_ to make the dress stand out more). A smile graced my face as I kept staring at Jerome. It wasn't until he let out a low chuckle that I realized I hadn't said anything back to him. I inwardly scolded myself for being such a halfwit. My cheeks without a doubt were probably bright red right now as I tried to appear unaffected my his presence. "...Hi..." I whispered before clearing my throat. "I mean, hello." I said much loudly this time. However that really wasn't a great redo. I just had to repeat myself with greeting him didn't I?

Jerome just kept that striking smile he had on as he playfully slid into the booth across from me. "Well, _hello_ to you too, gorgeous." He whimsically said using that affectionate nickname. I felt my heart go faster when I heard him call me that again. Now that he was sitting across from me my blues eyes were solely looking into his sea green eyes. His eyes twinkled as he stared at me. "Are you as happy to see me as I'm happy to see you?"

 _YES_.

Is what I wanted to shout out, but I knew doing that would cause me more embarrassment. So I went with the subtle answer instead. The smile on my face became one of calm content. "It's good to see you again, Jerome."

Jerome put a hand to his chest and he gave me a expression that I would classify as non-serious. "Please do try to contain your excitement. There's only so much I can handle from you."

Okay, he got me there. Fair and square. This time I couldn't keep my calm composure. My smile grew and I let out a laugh due to his behavior and because my own.

"Ah, there's that beautiful smile I like so much!" Jerome announced excitedly as he snapped his fingers. "You shouldn't hide that smile from me, gorgeous."

After he said that I got control of my laughter but still kept somewhat of a smile on my face. He called my smile beautiful. If there was ever a time to swoon it would be now. I however steadied my gaze onto his again. "I know, sorry." I said finding my voice despite wanting to burst into confetti. "It's just that I was trying to remain collected...but truth be told I really am happy to see you, Jerome." I earnestly told him. "It feels like forever since I last saw you." And that was true...it did feel like forever since I had last caught glimpse of him.

Jerome nodded his head. "That it has." He said as he intently kept his sea green eyes on me.

His stare for some reason suddenly had me become a nervous wreck. All the composure I had disappeared and I became a fidgeting mess. "I even had a challenging time figuring out what to wear for our date." I randomly blurted out as I pointed to my outfit. I wanted to shut up and save myself from further embarrassment but once the word vomit came out, I couldn't stop. "And then I didn't know to do my hair." I rambled as I touched the ends of my straighten hair. "Whether to curl it or not. I mean, I figured straightening my hair would be for the better." I put my hands on the table and began fidgeting with my fingers. "My hair is naturally wavy so curling it wouldn't be much of a difference. Plus, I really wanted to show you that I have nice hair." Oh dear God. Did I really just say that to him? In an attempt to save myself, I quickly picked up the menu and pretend to look through the order. "Anyways, what do you want to get?"

For a few seconds, there was just silence. I took this as a bad sign and I became even more anxious. God, my rambling must have seriously weirded him out this time. Why was I like that? I was such a lousy excuse for a girl. Just as I was thinking this though, I felt someone take a hold of one of my hands. My charm bracelet jingled a bit as such hand was gently pulled towards said person. I didn't even need to look across to know who was holding my hand...but I did anyways.

Jerome had taken a hold of one of my hands. As I looked at him with a wide eyed expression, all he gave me in return was a smile. This smile though was more soothing rather than the jocular one he had before. I forgot about the menu and dropped it onto the table as Jerome held not only my hand, but my attention as well.

"You got all dressed up for me? Aw, shucks, you shouldn't have." Jerome said as he gave my hand a squeeze. His sea green eyes gazed over my form. "I gotta say though you do look lovely in that purple dress." He gave me a faux puzzled expression. "Have I told you before that purple is one of my favorite colors?"

I blushed and lowered my eyes away from him. "I kind of just went with what you said last time." I confessed to him. "How you liked me in the other purple dress you saw me in. You know...when we first met."

Another squeeze to my hand had me lifting my gaze towards Jerome again. "Well purple dress or not. Hair curled or straighten, I have to say that being pretty for you is a permanent thing, Winnie."

That's exactly what he told me last time. Except this time he called me Winnie. This was the first time he has ever called me by that nickname. No one's ever called me Winnie except for my uncle Jim. Normally I would object at someone calling me Winnie (except for my uncle). For some reason though I quite liked it when Jerome called me by that nickname. Not as much as when he called me gorgeous, but him calling me Winnie was actually nice.

Jerome must have noticed my silence because his eyebrows furrowed a bit. "You okay?" He asked as he gave my hand another squeeze.

I got pulled out of my thoughts and nodded my head. "Yeah, it's just no one but my uncle Jim calls me Winnie."

"Oh, sorry." Jerome somewhat sheepishly responded back. "If you don't want me calling you that..."

"No, it's okay." I answered reassuringly. I looked right into his sea green eyes to let him know I was being truthful with him. "If it had been anyone else I would object, but I don't mind you calling me Winnie." I let a smile grace my face again. "I like the way it sounds when you say it." I saw his eyes gleam when I said this and a blush crossed my face as I continued speaking again. "Anyways, I'm sorry for the rambling. It's just this is my first date and I'm super nervous..." I stopped talking once I realized what I said. Once again I cursed myself for having the qualities of a word rambler. My eyes widen and I wanted to hide under a damn rock. Except of course I didn't for two reasons. One, there was no rock to hide under, and two I wouldn't even be able to do that because I was still holding hands with Jerome. Instead I just kept my place and stared at Jerome, hoping to God I wouldn't be ridiculed.

I saw a mixture of small amusement and puzzlement cross Jerome's facial features. Finally, after what felt like forever he spoke up. "Really, I'm your first date?" He asked sounding a little bit surprised. "Me? Your first?"

I couldn't find my words, so I just nodded my head.

Jerome leaned back in his seat looking thoughtful. His hand was still holding onto mine so I leaned forward a little. Suddenly with a loud laugh Jerome leaned forward again. I saw some people turn our way, but I didn't care for them at the moment. I was fascinated by Jerome's unexpected happy demeanor.

"Oh, _Winnie_. You just made my afternoon." Jerome boasted before interlocking our fingers. This made me more flustered. His smile grew as he looked into my blue eyes. "You and I are gonna have so much fun together."

In the future I would look back to this moment and rebuke myself. This should have been when I realized something was off about Jerome. But alas my starry eyed crush on him intervened me from doing so.

No, I just smiled and blushed as I continued to let him hold my hand.

It wasn't until I saw Susan making her way towards us that I finally let go of Jerome's hand. For a brief second there I was able to see Jerome's face take a puzzled expression, his heading tilting, before he caught on as to why I had ended such contact. His posture straighten out and any puzzlement he had left his face with the oncoming footsteps.

Susan came to a halt right at our table. She had her small order notebook out and pen ready to go. "Welcome to Rosie's." She politely greeted, more so to Jerome before turning to me. "Winifred." A warm smile let up her face more. "The usual?" She stated rather than asked.

I nodded my head. "Yes, please."

"And for the gentleman?" Susan looked at Jerome.

Jerome didn't even look through the menu that laid in front of him. He just appeared to be in thought before suddenly brightening up. "You know what? I'll have the same order this _lovely_ lady is having." He buoyantly responded and then handed _both_ of our menus to Susan.

A blush made its way to my cheeks but I tried my best to not let the feeling get to me. "You sure?" I questioned. "What I usually get is a bacon burger and a large chocolate shake. And a order of fries on the side." I added that last sentence quickly, embarrassed. I then anxiously waited to see for any reactions that mirrored repel. It was ridiculous but for some reason (even despite the confidence I had for myself) I assumed my eating habits would make him realize how undesirable I was. Much to my surprise (and relief), that didn't end up happening.

Instead Jerome's sea green eyes lit up. "Even better! Now I know I want that."

With her free hand Susan scribbled down our order. While she did this I saw her throw me a quick discreet look using her eyes to exchange glances between Jerome and me. I didn't need to fully analyze her look let alone the smile she had on to know what exactly she was trying to say to me. _"This one's a keeper"_ was what I comprehend. And honestly? I had to agree with her on that _._ Jerome was a keeper _._ I smiled, this time letting my blush go wild. It didn't take long for Susan to dismiss herself from our table before making her way towards the kitchen.

"I like a girl with an appetite." Jerome suddenly told me once it was just the two of us again. I stared right at him now, giving him my full undivided attention. "I hate it when girls just order a salad to eat." He huffed and momentarily waved one of his hands in the air "Defeats the whole purpose of going out to eat."

"Yeah, I tend to have a big appetite." I admitted sheepishly. "Except no matter how much I eat it sure doesn't show." Once again my inability to gain weight got feeling timorous.

Jerome must have seen and _heard_ my insecurity because almost immediately did his sea green eyes gleam. "Hey, I like to eat a lot too." He said, his voice was upbeat. "Don't let others bring you down just because you're able to keep your exquisite figure."

That comment _―_ or should I say compliment _―_ made my eyes widen and my cheeks burn even more. My body exquisite? _I don't think so._ "Right." I hurriedly composed my outward self, but I now felt the butterflies in my stomach going out of control.

"So, tell me about your family." Jerome was swift to ask that question.

 _Ah, first date chit chat._ I've seen enough romantic comedies to know this was going to happen. Such a sudden question though had me struggling to form a response. What was I supposed to talk about first? My mother who was currently at mental hospital getting treated for her Schizoaffective disorder? Or my father who has been absent my whole life? It wasn't like I was embarrassed to talk about either of those things, but they just didn't seem like first date appropriate topics of conversations. There was _one_ thing I could start off by saying. So, I decided to go for the safe option.

I smiled subconsciously as I tucked a piece of my blonde hair behind my ear. "Well I have an uncle who's a Detective at the G.C.P.D."

One would expect to see surprise on their date's face when telling them one of your family members was a Detective, but Jerome was the exception. He looked pleased than surprised when I said that. "A Detective, really?" He questioned thoroughly interested. "That gotta be..." There was a pause, his head tilting to the side a bit. " _Exciting_." He ended up telling me.

I guess exciting would be one way to describe my uncle's job. Worrisome would be another and that's the way I tended to use to describe it. I know for certain Barbara would describe it the same way as well. How could she not after the tribulation we went through."That's one way of putting it." I said voicing my thoughts out-loud.

Jerome's sea green eyes twinkled. "I bet you've already met some very interesting folks."

I nodded my head because that was true. Thanks to my uncle's job I have met some very interesting people. The clever and quirky Ed Nygma being one of them. The mischievous but deep down kindhearted (in her own way) Selina Kyle. The lackadaisical (but now on my good side) Detective Bullock, and last but not least Bruce Wayne. However with the good came the bad. So I had to (despite much reluctance to do so) include the unfortunate meetings with Oswald Cobblepot (who at the time called himself Peter Humboldt _―_ a obvious fake name), Don Falcone who had Barbara and I held hostage, and the ever nightmare inducing character of Victor Zsasz. That was practically the bogeyman to me. "Yeah, I have." The first batch of names were interesting people I liked being around, but the last half were highly dangerous. They were people I did not want to cross paths with ever again. Especially not Victor's. This was Gotham though...and I had an _awful_ feeling inside that I would have the misfortune of seeing them again. Real soon too.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when I saw Jerome fix his posture again. "So, that's cool about your uncle." He animatedly commented. I could tell however he wanted to continue the conversation. And that was only confirmed when he gave me a quizzical expression. "But what about your parents?"

A small frown graced my face knowing I could no longer push aside this topic of conversation. "I can only tell you about my mother." I told him, crestfallen. The need to twirl my bracelet again arose with me, but I was able to stop myself from doing so.

Jerome's puzzled expression became more profound. I came to the conclusion that I didn't like seeing him this way. I liked it better when he was smiling and being his happy go lucky self. "Why's that?" He asked me.

There was still the option of me coming up with a lie as to why that was. Except I didn't want to lie to Jerome. I wanted to tell him the truth regarding my parents. I sighed, inwardly preparing myself for what I was about to tell him. "I can only tell you about my mother because she's the only parent that was involved in my life. My father..." I paused, needing to control the emotions I got when discussing my father. "Well, I don't know where he is. I haven't gotten the chance to meet him." _Not that I think I ever would._ Despite me thinking this, I left that last comment to myself.

Silence grew between Jerome and I. The longer it went on the more I became anxious. He now had on a expression that told me he was processing everything I had just confessed to him. Although this made me bashful, at least it wasn't a look of pity. I didn't want him feeling sorry for me. _Gosh, maybe I should have just lied..._

"You said was."

Jerome finally spoke catching me off guard.

"What?" I asked, muddled.

Jerome didn't look bothered by my nonplussed state. "You said your mother was the only parent involved in your life. Does that mean she's..." He drawled the last sentence almost in a whispered tone. He was studying my face, no doubt tried to read any further sorrow that might have lurked underneath.

And I understood why.

"Oh, no!" I was quick to exclaim. "I...my mother...she's very much alive, but at the moment she's not with me." I took a deep breath. This time I did twirl the charms that were on my bracelet. "She's sick. That's why I'm staying with my uncle here in Gotham."

Jerome nodded his head. His sea green eyes were staring right into my blue ones. The lovely color made me feel slightly better. "What her diagnoses?"

I was glad that Jerome wasn't like the past others who have asked me what's _wrong_ with my mother. In my eyes there was nothing wrong with her. She just needed time to get better that's all. So to hear Jerome ask a question is such a respectful way about my own mother, made me feel even more for him.

"Schizoaffective." My voice wavered a bit as a said that heartrending word. "It's a mental disorder."

I felt relieved when once again I wasn't rewarded with a look of commiseration. Jerome instead nodded his head as he let out a soft hum. Maybe he wanted to dive deeper into the topic of my mother's mental disorder. Schizoaffective disorder was after all a very rare disorder. I doubt he's heard about it until today. I mean, even I didn't know what it was until my mother had the misfortune of being diagnosed with it. I furrowed my eyebrows when I saw Jerome roll his shoulders. Within another few seconds I watched as he became his lighthearted self again.

"Tell me about her." Jerome inquired.

I sighed. Guess I had been right about him wanting to know more about my mother's dreaded mental disorder. "Well, when she was diagnosed _―"_

"No, no." Jerome interrupted me lively. "Tell me about _her_. Not her diagnoses. You know, how she was before."

A genuine smile appeared on my face. I greatly appreciated that he didn't want to focus any longer on my mother's disorder. Instead he wanted me to talk about the good memories I had of her instead of the bad ones. "Kinsley Gordon. That's her name. Well she was and still _is_ the best mother anyone could have." I softly told him. Nostalgia was slowly starting to grow inside me as I began talking about my mother. "Growing up she was always there for me. Which I know must have been a real challenge because she was a single mother. Especially since she was a single mother, who eventually ended up owning a small boutique." My smile almost went away completely after I said this. My mother loved that boutique. It was like her second baby. So her being leaving it behind like she did with me must have made things harder. I had to remind myself though that the boutique was fine. One of my mother's friend/employer was taking care of it at the moment. When my mother returned the boutique would still be there and running.

Thinking more on the positive side, I got my self together again. "But despite all the hardships she faced, she _never_ once made me feel like I was a burden to her." After I said this I reached for the red scarf I was wearing. Another gift given to me by my mother. For a few seconds there I saw Jerome staring at my scarf before I let go of it. "Anyways, she _always_ put others first." I heartily admitted to him. "She's just that kind of person." My eyes then averted away from him for what I was about to say. "I've been told countless times how much I look like her."

Jerome let out a whistle. "Well, gorgeous, I can see where you get your natural beauty from then."

I found myself looking right at him again. Those lovely sea green eyes affecting me dearly. The blush on my face felt so _warm_. Despite feeling flattered by his compliment, I took the modest route. "I mean, yeah there's similarities, but believe me when I say my mother is a real classic beauty." I responded, self-effacing. "She has this smile that can light up a room."

" _Psh_." Jerome inputted merrily. "Have you not seen your own smile?"

What kind of question was that? "Of course I have."

Jerome remained upbeat. "So, then you know?"

"Know what?" I asked still not understanding him.

Jerome gave me a look that had me seeing bright colors around him. "That your smile is _breathtaking_."

Cue the intensified butterfly feeling in my stomach. Gosh, just how was I supposed to survive the rest of this date without looking like a fool if Jerome kept giving me such earnest compliments? I opened my mouth, but as I expected I didn't utter a single word. It seemed that my facial expression though was enough of a response for Jerome.

The red haired boy gave me a laugh. "Left you speechless there, didn't I?"

 _Yes...yes you did._

I was miraculously able to gain some composure. After doing so I continued on with our conversation as if I hadn't been in a dumbfounded state. "What about your parents?" I asked, trying my hardest to cool down my face.

Jerome set both of his arms onto the table. "Who would you like to hear about first?"

"Well how about your mother?" I carefully suggested. Now there was a reason I wanted to specifically know about his mother first than his father. I remember from last time he wasn't too happy when mentioning his mother. I know it's not any of my business about the possible strain relationship between them, but I did just tell him about my own mother. Seemed only fair he would tell me about his. Or at least try to.

Jerome inhaled and then exhaled dramatically. "My mother, Lila Valeska." He said airily. "What can I say about my mother? She's one of a kind." There was a smile on that handsome face of his but it seemed forced. "She likes to cook, but she's not very good at it." He made a thinking face. "Let's see, what else? Oh, yeah! She's also the loving type. In fact she enjoys showing her love to various men."

My eyes widen at that last part. I was certainly not expecting on Jerome saying that. Up until that point the conversation had been normal. Now it had taken a awkward turn. "Oh." I whispered, unquiet. "So, she does a lot of dating?" The naive part of me had resurfaced.

Jerome pursed his lips. "Not sure the term _dating_ would be correct, but it's somewhere along the lines there."

When Jerome spoke about his mother's _love_ life, I noticed how indifferent he tried to sound. This astounded me. Surely his mother's love life had to bother him to some degree. That would explain the tension I felt whenever he brought her up. "Does that bother you?" I attentively asked him.

I didn't even have to wait long for an answer. It was instantaneous. "No." Jerome simply answered.

I furrowed my eyebrows. " _No?_ "

Jerome shrugged his shoulders. "Think of it this way, _Winnie_. If it weren't for my mother's _love_ life, I wouldn't be sitting across from you right now." That made me lean back against my seat, pensive. My mind was all over the place before I was able accept such answer. Although, I was able to accept his answer, I was still a bit on the unsure side. He must have seen my unsure form because he spoke up again. His voice free from any umbrage. "Let me ask you this...would it bother you if _your_ mother _dated_ a lot?"

I know there was another meaning for the word _dated_. My inexperienced-being didn't get the better of me this time. "I mean, I don't know." I finally answered. And that was the honest truth. In my case I really had no idea how I would have reacted if my mother had many lovers in her life. Growing up never once did I see my mother go on a date or even engage in flings. I'm guessing after being with my father she no longer had interest in finding a romantic partner. Maybe what she had with my father caused too much pain. But _if_ she had moved on would it have bothered me? I fixed my voice when I was able to come to a reasonable answer. "I guess as long as my mother's happy..."

"Exactly." Jerome exclaimed. "As long as she's happy." After he said this I watched as settled down again. His expression now resembled earnestness. "Listen..." He drawled on, meaningfully. "My mother has her faults. Who doesn't? But she's my mother, you know?" His sea green eyes soften as did his facial features. "I _love_ her no matter what."

I smiled, fooled. "That's sweet to hear."

His answer so was well put together, so _intensely_ convincing that I ended up falling for it. Like the naive fool that I was during this impacting time of my youth. It wouldn't be until later that I'd learn the awful truth. How Jerome held absolute hatred towards his mother. As well as the ghastly act that he would later commit. Right now though I was feeding on the lies he was telling me. If I could go back in time to this very moment I would, and I would have slapped myself. But I didn't have the ability to time travel. So a future me didn't go back in time to stop me from swooning at the verbal confirmation Jerome had given me. Verbal confirmation in which he _claimed_ he loved his mother no matter what her faults were. And just as my feelings for Jerome began to get even more stronger _―_ because of that _lie_ _―_ a question suddenly crossed my mind. "Wait, what about your father?"

"Ah, that's something you and I have in common, gorgeous. You see I never met my father either." Jerome confessed to me. "My mother told me he used to be a sea captain." For a few seconds there a mixture of emotions crossed his face as he continued talking. "When I was just a _wee lad_ though he ended up dying on one of his outings." He said putting on a exaggerated Scottish accent on the _wee lad_ part. His sea green eyes kept direct contact with my blue eyes. "His name was Sven Karlsen." His normal voice had returned now.

That was heartbreaking to hear from him. Except as much as I _wanted_ to express my sympathy, I didn't. Jerome didn't show me any pity regarding my mother's mental disorder or because of my absent father. I figured it only made sense (not to mention it showed respect) if I didn't do the whole _"I'm sorry"_ bit. Just like me, Jerome has probably heard those two words a ton of times now. And like me he was also probably tired of hearing them. So instead I nodded my head, letting him know I comprehended what he said. "A sea captain?" My posture straighten as I no longer leaned against the seat. Curiousness filled my voice. "Well what does your mother do then?"

"She's a snake dancer." Jerome nonchalantly said me.

 _Say what?_ My mouth became slack jawed. "A w-what?" I managed to inquire out-loud.

Jerome chuckled. "She's a snake dancer." He easily explained. "For Haly's Circus."

 _Haly's Circus?_ His mother was a snake dancer for a _circus?_ That was so... _unique_. The empathy I had managed to control for the similarities between our absent father's began to slip away. As a replacement astonishment started to multiply within me thanks to the mention of his mother's job. I stared at Jerome in pure amazement. Another question soon popped into my head and I found myself asking him excitedly."So does that mean you're part of the circus, too?"

Jerome shook his head. "I don't have an act if that's what you mean. But I've been with the circus since I was a kid." The smile he had on became jocular. "Though If I did have an act..." He paused dramatically, his sea green eyes gleaming with elation. "Oh, let me tell you gorgeous, it would be _startling_."

"I can only imagine." I happily agreed with him _―_ unaware with just how startling his act would truly be in the future. The knowledge of him growing up in a circus however still affected me. I let out an awe sigh. "Gosh, you've probably been to so many places."

"Yeah, we've traveled around." Jerome smoothly told me. "To different cities here and there. Mainly the big ones. Right now we're located here in the beautiful city of Gotham." He announced, sardonic. "There really wasn't much to see..." He perked up as he looked over my form. "Until I met _you_ that is."

 _Stay cool, Winifred. Stay cool._ Despite the chant _,_ I still needed a few seconds in order to fully compose myself. "I think it's cool that you're apart of the circus." I finally commented working passed my bashfulness. Even though I found my voice, there wasn't anything else I could do to cool down the warmth from my cheeks.

Jerome studied me intently. I thought for sure he was going to comment on the blush on my cheeks, but to my relief he didn't. "You know I'm surprised by your reaction." He stated, bemused.

"Why?" I asked, puzzled.

Jerome let out a huff. "Because from personal experience I've learned that not many people think a kid growing up, and living in a circus environment is a good thing."

I can definitely see people thinking that way. My mother probably would have been greatly surprised to hear about Jerome's living arrangements _―_ along with his mother's profession. Despite the shock though I know for certain that my mother wouldn't look down upon his lifestyle. She also wouldn't have belittled his mother either. Exactly how I wasn't doing so. "Well everyone has different upbringings." I said softly to him. "Besides..." I drawled on causing Jerome to look at me in a eager manner. I smiled at his adrenalized behavior. "I happen to like the circus."

"Maybe I'd take you there one of these days then." Jerome cheerfully offered.

I felt several emotions run through me. Exuberance being the strongest. "Really?"

Jerome nodded his head.

"That would be awesome!" I exclaimed no longer able to contain my excitement. Imagining me and Jerome at the circus (on another date perhaps) made my heart race. The excitement I felt faltered when I noticed Jerome's facial features take a thoughtful turn. "What?" I questioned.

"Nothing, it's just that your voice..." Jerome tilted his head as he narrowed those perfect eyes of his. "I thought I heard an accent slip through."

Oh darn. He was able to take notice. I was hoping he wouldn't...possibly ever. No else had noticed my Boston accent since arriving to Gotham. Not even my uncle or Jonathan, who I spent so much time with had heard my accent. Although that mainly had to because of my expertise on hiding it. Now it wasn't like I was embarrassed by my Boston accent...okay maybe I was a little. But the thought of having another date with Jerome _―_ at the circus of all places _―_ got the better of me. My eyes averted to the table, finding it to be vastly more interesting.

"Ah, sorry about that. That's my Boston accent coming out." I said sheepishly. "It usually doesn't. I've had it under control throughout the years now. It's not that strong, _but_ it does slip out on occasion." I rambled on feverishly. "Mainly whenever I get really mad or excited. Not that I'm mad at the moment...just, uh. really excited." My word vomit finally (thankfully) came to a stop after that last sentence. As I paused to gain composure, I was inwardly chastising my foolish behavior.

Jerome's chuckling is what made me look his way again. And when I did I saw him grinning. "I'm glad to know I excite you."

I tucked another loose blonde hair behind my ear. Unable to find my voice (for like the _hundredth_ time), resulted in me smiling bashfully instead.

Luckily for me _―_ putting my embarrassed state to a halt _―_ it was then at that moment that Susan finally came back with our orders.

* * *

"So, what got you into art?"

Jerome's question made me gaze up at him.

By now both of our plates were empty from the delicious food we had ordered. We were now just drinking what was left of our chocolate shakes. I myself had dipped the last of my fries into the shake. After doing so I chewed said food item rather fast, remembering the comment Jerome had made about me dipping my fries into my shake. He thought it was _adorable_. Rest assured that comment made me blush more than I already was and had me gaping like a fool as well. Surprise surprise.

Since we had gotten our food, we only made small talk. As a way to get to know each other more. Except now that we were done with our main courses, we started to openly talk again like before. This specific question though didn't surprise me unlike the ones before. After all the first time we met he had seen me drawing in my sketch book.

I well-mannerly swallowed the food remains I had before speaking up. "I've always liked art. Paintings, drawings, photography. But I especially like drawing things myself. It's become a hobby of mine." I easily explained to him. "But I guess it was really my mother who encouraged me to continue with it. Just like how she encouraged me to be in gymnastics when I was little and later on to join cheerleading." My facial features soften at the mention of my mother. "Honestly if it weren't for her I wouldn't have gotten into half the things I like now. Hake, I wouldn't have even tried out for the cheerleading team."

"Wait." Jerome spoke up, amused. "You're a _cheerleader_?" He sounded completely dumbfounded.

He had on a daze look that I did not take offense to at all. "Well I used to be one at my old school in Boston." I proudly told him. " _Although_ I'm thinking about trying out for the cheerleading team here at Gotham High."

"You'll make the team." Jerome stated immediately.

I liked his embolden demeanor. I really did. It made me feel less discourage for the soon to be cheer tryouts. However...anxiousness still overwhelmed me from top to bottom. I laughed lowly as a result of the foreboding I felt. "You haven't even seen me cheer."

" _Winnie."_ Jerome emphasized _._ "I just know."

The use of that affectionate nickname had me feeling bubbly now. I coughed, gaining composure. "Well I tend to worry about my acceptance to the team." I openly told him. He now looked at me with questioning eyes. I pursed my lips, knowing I had to go into greater detail for the reason being. "The head cheerleader has it out for me."

Jerome eyebrows furrowed a bit. "Why's that?"

I was a bit wishy washy on telling him the truth. Mainly because it was a tad bit ridiculous...but up to this point I hadn't lied to Jerome and I wasn't about to. I pushed aside my shake as I fixed my posture. "Because I threw a slice of pie at her boyfriend." I admitted to him. Even though I felt the slightest of disapproval, I made sure to keep my voice steady. "It hit him right in the face."

There was silence between us but it was cut short when Jerome started laughing his head off. Several other diner folks look our away, but I didn't really mind their stares. All I could focus on was Jerome's sea green eyes that were gleaming with hilarity. This made me the previous embarrassment I felt slowly melt away. "Why did you do that?" He asked once he _calmed_ down. The words calmed down being used loosely.

"The guy was beating up my friend, Jonathan." I ardently confessed to him. "Usually I'm not one for violence, but I had to do something. I mean, no one else was stopping the bully. So I did something. I took a stand. It was a rather comedic one sure, but I took it." I stopped my rambling when I felt my intense emotions were taking over there. I breathed in and out, cooling down. Once feeling in control again, a aghast sigh escaped me. "Anyways, I've been on their hate list since that day. Especially hers." I muttered, nettled. " _Sherry_."

Jerome scoffed. "Bullies. They're such a pain the _toosh,_ am I right?" He gave me expression of resolute. "Don't let her get to you. Go to that try out and wipe whatever smirk she has on. Which will probably disappear the instant she sees your skills."

His encouraging kind words stuck with me. All I wanted to see now, when the time came for tryouts, was too see Sherry's mean-girl smirk or glare evaporate. In the words of character _Gabrielle Union's_ character from the movie _Bring it on_ , I will _bring it._ I gave Jerome a heart felt smile. "Thanks for those uplifting words, but shouldn't I be the one talking _nice_ to you? I mean, we're supposed to be talking about your birthday plans and all."

Jerome's lips quirked. "Gorgeous you can talk nice to me all you want. Doesn't mean I'm not going to stop talking nice to you. And besides..." He said waving one of his hands. "I'd rather just continue are date as it, no birthday plans to be brought up. "

I nodded my head. Although I was a bit bemused by such request, I politely accepted it. "If that's what you really want."

I jumped a bit in surprise when Susan suddenly came from the side, putting the book that had the bill on the table. She smiled at the both of us before making her way. Without really thinking about it, I reached for the bill. However I never got to it because Jerome was quick to snatch it himself. "Oh no, gorgeous. I'm paying for our _fabulous_ date."

I frowned. "But _―"_

" _Gorgeous_ , I told you I'm paying." Jerome said with a smile. Though he was smiling, the determined tone he had on made me realize just how serious he was. "Now retract that delicate hand of yours."

I huffed, caving in. "Fine." I responded pulling my hand away. "But the next time _I_ pay. Or we split the bill in half." Yes it's social rule for guys to pay for everything now a days when on a date, but I personally feel that when two people go out on a date that they should split the bill evenly. That's just something I got from my mother. Even if she never went out, she still gave me thoughtful opinions about being fair.

Jerome kept his smile. "Okie-dokie." He said, but I had a feeling he was going to put up a fight the next time we went out again. Such a old-fashioned gentleman.

After Jerome put the amount that was due inside the bill book and setting it to the side, we both slid out of our seats. Standing up I straighten out my dress as I flashed him a sheepish, awkward smile. "So...I-I had fun." I stammered. Gosh, I'm such a mess.

Jerome, who was standing right in front of me, was swift to take a hold of one of my hands. His lips curl upwards. "You don't actually think our date is already over do you?"

In response to this I just gave him a dream like stare, before he started leading the way outside. With his hand holding onto mine the entire time.

* * *

After we left Rosie's diner, Jerome and I ended up going to an arcade. That's right an _actual_ arcade. I didn't even know Gotham had an arcade. Although to be fair it was located around an area I normally didn't go _―_ or better yet an area my uncle hadn't deemed as safe to go to. I should have let Jerome know about my uncle's rule about the areas I was only allowed to go, but I didn't want to ruin our date.

I was on high alert though. The thought of some dangerous stranger (or even a familiar one like Victor Zsasz) coming up from behind us had me on edge. However, the fact that I wasn't alone and was with Jerome eased my apprehension. Not to mention the pepper spray I secretly carried washed away my worry as well. I was full on ready to use such item if I had to. Since there was no way I was gonna let someone hurt Jerome and I while we were on our first date. Especially when were having so much fun.

I was very happy to find out that the arcade had some old fashioned games.

I'm talking about _Centipede, Asteroids, Galaxian, Pac-Man, Galaga._ And those were only a few of the games they had there. In all honesty now that I thought about it better, that place was a gold mine for old video games. If Ed had been there he sure would have jumped with excitement. I wonder if he knew about this place though? I'm sure he did. Just in case he didn't, I made a note in the back my of head to bring it up the next time I had a chance to talk to him.

Jerome and I played different games, but eventually we got stuck playing _Dragon's Lair._ Which let me tell you, Jerome and I were _very_ animated when playing that specific game. Especially every-time one of us lost. And that happened a lot. I found our failure from winning to be highly amusing than frustrating though, and I was pretty sure Jerome did too. Hence his never ending laughter and smiling when the dragon kept beating our knight in the game. Eventually when we both ran out of coins _―_ because yes I had been determined to pitch in this time and he had reluctantly accepted _―_ we left the arcade.

After that we took a stroll through the park (the same park I was allowed to go through). Except it was a rather fast stroll on my account. The sun was already down (it had been down for a while now), and it was night time. I knew the exact time my uncle was supposed to return home from his current job at Arkham Asylum. And based at the time I saw at the arcade, I knew that I had about an hour or so until he returned. However, I felt better returning back to my uncle's apartment now rather than closer to the time he's supposed to arrive. Mainly because I didn't want to risk running into my uncle while I was still with Jerome. How awkward would have that been? Yeah, extremely.

Though I was fairly taken back that Jerome wanted to walk me back home. I knew based on the romantic movies I've seen and romantic novels I've read, that it's normal for dates to walk each other home. However, listening to Jerome say that he actually wanted to walk me home was heart stopping. All those movies I've watched and novels I've read, and here it was happening to me. Finally.

I was on cloud nine.

Even now as we were holding hands. Just like how we had when he left Rosie's diner. And now here we where reaching my uncle's apartment. Oh, how I didn't want this date to end. But alas...it had to. I glanced bashfully his way.

"Thank you for today." I told him as I initiated a halt in front of the apartment's front door. It was a move he followed right away. My lips formed into a content smile as we gazed at one another. "I really did have a lot of fun."

Jerome gave the hand he was holding a gentle squeeze. "I did too." He earnestly admitted to me. "Listen..." He leaned more towards me, almost as if he were about to tell me something important. "I have something to confess."

 _Oh...guess he did have something important to say._

"What is it?" I asked, curious and a tad bit anxious.

Jerome gave my hand another squeeze. "You know how I changed my mind about discussing birthday plans? Well, that's because it's today."

My mouth gaped slightly. " _What?_ "

"My birthday's today." Jerome nonchalantly clarified.

My blue eyes widen from said information. "What?" I exclaimed letting go of his hands. I thew both my hands in the air momentarily in exasperation. "What do you mean your birthday's today? I thought you said it was in a couple of weeks?"

"That was a fib." Jerome said shrugging his shoulders. "I turned eighteen today."

"But we could have done something way more better, special for your birthday." I said softly. "Not just have dinner and play old style video games." My eyes lowered to the ground, ashamed. "I really shouldn't have let you pay."

" _Hey_..." Jerome lifted my chin to look back at him again. He used the same hand to stoke one of my flushed cheek. "I wanted to pay for dinner. Dinner that I enjoyed by the way. And those old video games were very much fun to play. I mean, the amount of times we got roasted by that cunning dragon was hysterical."

I couldn't help the smile that appeared on my face. The memory of me and Jerome laughing at the game we kept losing was just too funny. My smile faltered when I noticed that Jerome was still stroking my cheek. Said cheek that kept getting warmer and warmer by the second. "So..." I breathed out. "There wasn't anything else you wanted to do? Or even want?"

Jerome shook his head, lowering the hand on my cheek "No." He then made a thoughtful face. "Actually, there is _one_ thing I do want."

"What?" I questioned now completely lost in his sea green eyes.

His gaze slowly lowered down to where my lips and that's when I understood what he meant.

 _Oh wow._ I swallowed the lump in throat. After doing do I was able to find my voice, but unfortunately my words came out shaky. "Oh. I-I..."

"What is it?" Jerome asked, puzzled.

I tried controlled my breathing, but at the realization that Jerome wanted to do _that_ had me skittish. "I-I've never been kissed before." I admitted to him without thinking. Gosh, I wanted to hide under a rock now. He didn't have to know that!

Instead of looking surprised, Jerome's smile returned. This time it seemed even more brighter than before. "That's nice to know, gorgeous." His gaze on me suddenly became soft, meaningful. "Do you trust me?" He intently asked me.

There was no ounce of hesitation as I nodded my head. "Yes."

A pleased smile expression appeared on his youthful handsome face. "Then close your eyes."

And that's exactly what I did. I closed my eyes. Heart racing as I did so.

Now I had no idea what to expect _―_ okay let's be real _―_ in theory I _knew_ what to expect. I had enough media and literature knowledge to know that I would soon get to feel Jerome's lips on mine. That's what a kiss was. _However_ , what I did not expect was the softness of his lips, nor the vertiginous affect that the kiss caused me. I let out a low gasp the second his lips touched mine. It by no means was a rough kiss. No it was a _gentle_ kiss, but despite the tenderness I already felt like I had been twirled ten times. I was lightheaded. But that didn't stop me from kissing him.

I jumped a bit in place when I felt Jerome's hands around my waist. That didn't at all ruin the heartfelt moment we were having. The feel of having Jerome's hands on my waist made me realize my own hands were just awkwardly hanging there on my sides. Wanting do to something with them, I carefully lifted them to wrap them around his neck. When I did this I felt Jerome's smile against my lips as the kiss continued. With such gentleness, Jerome pulled me closer to him, resulting in my chest pressing against his. Now I would have been shocked, but I was too into the kiss to even be embarrassed by this move.

When the kiss _finally_ came to an end, I slowly opened my eyes. I blinked several times, coming to my senses again. My vision was at first was blurry from tightly shutting my eyes, but even then I was able tell just how close I was to Jerome. The need to jump back was strong. Except I fought off this urge. I liked feeling Jerome's arms around my waist, and despite being flustered at the proximity between us, I just continued to stare at him in awe. " _Wow_..." I dreamily sighed. "Happy birthday."

Jerome laughed lowly. "Thanks." He murmured before pecking my lips. When he did this I a shiver to go down my spine. He leaned down to one of my ears. "By the way...that's just the first of many." He whispered to me. Leaning back, he let go of my waist as he took a hold of my hands from his neck. Bringing them down, he held onto the both of them with his own. "Thanks for tonight." He said smiling, happily. "This has been the best birthday I've had so far."

By no means had I fully cooled down from my flustered state, but not talking right that amazing kiss would be an awkward thing to do (or not do). "I'm glad I was able to make you happy today. Hopefully we can hang out again." I said optimistically. I really wanted to hang out again. I also wanted to kiss him again, but I controlled said urges.

Jerome let out a low laugh. "Winnie, after tonight and that kiss we had you bet we're gonna hang out again. Real soon too."

"Let me give you my cellphone number then." I suggested as I struggled to get my phone out from my cardigan. That kiss still had me severely stunned.

Jerome must have seen this because he waved his hand. "Don't fret over that. I'll find a way to contact you."

Still too dazed from the kiss to comprehend, I proceeded with a question. "But how?"

Jerome gave me a obvious look. "Well, I know where you live now."

Duh. I laughed, bashful. "Right, of course. Heh, how silly of me." I said whimsically.

Jerome grinned as he leaned forward. I was expecting him to kiss me again on the lips, but he surprised me by kissing my right cheek. Very gently. That kiss still left me feeling delight. When he pulled back his sea green eyes were twinkling with content. "See ya, gorgeous." He said to me before he started walking away from me.

"See ya, Jerome." I softly responded back. It was probably to low for him to hear, but I still said it.

I didn't go inside until he out of sight. Wanting to see his form as long as possible. Once inside the apartment though, I leaned against the front door. Buoyant, I then lifted one my hands up and let my fingers gently touch my lips. The same lips that had gotten kissed by Jerome not that long ago. I smiled feeling the after effects from Jerome's kiss resurface again.

I giggled uncontrollably.

 _My very first kiss._

I've finally been kissed...and by a boy I had strong feelings for. Never in my whole life have I felt so carefree... _light_...without a hint of worry going through my mind. None of the bad things that I have experienced since arriving to Gotham were controlling my main thoughts.

No, I was too happy to think about anything negative. I was actually happy.

It was a feeling I hadn't felt in a long time, but I was now again.

And it was all thanks to Jerome.

* * *

 ** _A/N:_ **_I hope the end of this chapter had your guys heart racing because mine sure was when writing it **^.^** Hopefully I won't take too long to update the chapter. And speaking of the next chapter, just a little note side for all you **Oswald** fans he will finally be making another appearance in the next chapter. So be excited for that. Cause **Winifred** sure is...lol jk she's not. **xD**_

 _Anyways, until next time my dear readers! Enjoy the return of Gotham tonight! **Xoxo**_


	18. Chapter 18: 4x16 Sneak Peek

**_Disclaimer:_ **_I do not own Gotham or any of the characters. I only own my OC._

 _ **A/N:** After watching episode 16 of season 4 how could I not upload a sneak peek chapter? I mean come on we had **Jerome, Jervis** , and **Jonathan** team up together! Dreams really do come true. **^.^** Anyways, obviously this chapter takes places during season 4. So therefore it is in **3rd POV**. For you **Jonathan Crane** fans, you guys are going to love this chapter. It focuses more on **Jonathan** and **Winifred** and how they act with each other during season 4. __There is a bit of mention of abuse in this chapter. So be warned about that. Also we have mentions of_ _**Jervis** somewhat being a creep...but that's something we all should know by now. As readers we also notice how different **Winifred** is personality wise. If you were to compare this sneak peek to season 3 one can see the major difference. Which I think is important to take in because it shows us how she's growing as a person. I mean this poor girl has been through a lot up to this point. She's no longer that broken girl, she's taken control of her life and gotten stronger. Anyways, l_ _adies and gentlemen here's the sneak peek. Enjoy!_

 _ **P.S.** This is totally random but as of recently I started imagining what **Winifred** would look like as an adult when she's in her late twenties to early thirties. And I can't help but think of the actress **E**_ ** _lizabeth Debicki_** _for her face-claim as an adult. She certainly has the older facial features that sort of resemble **Winifred** , and she's tall too. I mean __**E**_ ** _lizabeth Debicki_** _is_ _like 6'3. Although I don't imagine **Winifred** to be that tall **(in the story I imagine Winifred's height to later be at least 5'10)** , her height is an important feature. Especially when compared to the other characters. And honestly **Winifred's** height is one of the many reason she gets a lot of attention._

* * *

 _ **Chapter 18: 4x16 Sneak Peek**_

Crane was glad that red haired maniac had left. Jerome had been giving him a nagging headache with all that laughter and annoying chatter of his since escaping from Arkham. Honestly if it hadn't been for Tetch's constant interference, Crane would given Jerome a piece of his mind. Now that ginger lunatic was gone for the time being, Crane was finally able to concentrate on finishing his fear toxin.

Not fully though because there was a _tiny_ thing that kept distracting him.

 _Winifred_.

The blonde girl that at one point in time he considered a friend was currently in the same room as him. By in no means could she attack him since she was tied to a chair. So he was fine. Except no matter how much he wanted to deny it, just having her presence alone was getting to him.

Crane did not want her to be here. He didn't want her involved with him, Jerome, or Tetch. However he knew better than to go against Jerome's ludicrous plan on kidnapping her. Given the dare he say _tumultuous_ romantic past she shared with Jerome, Crane knew from the start that Jerome would eventually want to be reunited with his "true" love. Those were Jerome's words, not his. And as much as Crane wanted to work on his own, he knew he couldn't. Not yet. He had to think logically. And logically speaking he had to remain in alliance with Jerome and Tetch.

Now unlike him, Tetch had been all for kidnapping Winifred. As Crane had come to find out the hypnotist had his own _strange_ past with Winifred too. However, unlike with them, Crane could tell Winifred had _zero_ tolerance with Tetch. It was just plain loathing coming from her end. Whenever Tetch tried talking to her, Winifred just glared at him. Though what really made her loathing more clear was the scene that took place earlier. When Tetch had tried touching Winfred's now shoulder length wavy blonde hair. Although Jerome had been there to stop Tetch from touching her, Winifred still fought back by spitting at Tetch's face.

It was an action that had Tetch staggering back with a mildly repulsed face and caused Jerome to laugh uncontrollably. Crane himself had remained quiet, taking in the scene with scrutinizing eyes. That action alone just made him more self-aware of just how much Winifred truly hated the hypnotist. Now if only she had displayed such hatred toward Jerome as well.

Oddly enough, despite Crane not liking Tetch around Winifred like with Jerome, he much preferred Tetch's company than Jerome's. Yes they were both mentally deranged, but at least when he was with Tetch he wouldn't purposely annoy him. Crane assumed that Jerome was more hostile towards him because of the close friendship he once had with Winifred. A friendship that bloomed before all this madness. A friendship that had led to something more on Crane's side, back when he had been known as only Jonathan. A one sided crush that never progressed to anything more. Crane liked to believe he had moved on from such silly feelings, but there was a tiny spark that was still ignited inside him. It was a spark that grew stronger each time he gazed at her. And clearly it was a spark that Jerome sensed and hated with all his might.

Now when it came to Jerome Valeska, Crane was certain of only two things.

1) He was a psychopath.

That was obvious. And...

2) He was a psychopath who's "in love" with Winifred Gordon.

Crane in his mind imagined putting quotation marks around the "in love" part. Mainly because to him those feeling Jerome had for Winifred weren't from love, but instead from a unhealthy obsession. The quack was obsessed with her, not in love. There was a huge difference. And he wanted very much to yell at the red head that his so called "love" for Winifred was foolish, but Tetch's words from earlier rang in his head. There will be plenty of time to stab each other in the backs later. Right now they still had a plan to follow through.

"Jonathan."

This hadn't been the first time Winifred had tried catching his attention by using his first name. Since Tetch and Jerome had left to continue on with their plan, Winifred had been trying to get him to talk to her. Unlike the other two, Crane had distanced himself from her. And there was a reason for that. Those long forgotten feelings he had for her were slowly growing more and more stronger. It didn't help that she kept saying the name that belonged to the weak boy he once was. He had been doing well on ignoring her at first, but now that it was just the two of them he couldn't continue his silent treatment. This time no matter how much he argued with himself he could not ignore that sweet sounding voice of hers.

Crane put down his fear toxin materials down as he turned to look at her. " _What_?" He breathed out. His steel gaze _almost_ dropped once he saw her but he remained cold. Although restrained, with her shoulder length hair disarrayed, she still looked the same as usual. Beautiful. Even with the fading scars that were over her arms. He felt relief knowing she no longer took part of that harmful activity. Unfortunately the scars still remained. A constant reminder of a time that she felt so depressed that she induced physical pain on herself. Crane also blamed Jerome for that. Except he knew Jerome wasn't the only reason Winifred ending up doing that to herself. On a lighter note from what Jerome told him, Winifred was no longer hiding her scars with layers of clothing. And strangely Crane was glad about that. It showed that Winifred wasn't ashamed.

For a second there Winifred look surprised that Jonathan actually acknowledged her. She wasn't frighten though. Not even with the mask he was wearing or the way his piercing blue eyes were harshly staring at her. The only facial feature that she could see from him. Perhaps it had been any other person in her current situation they would be frighten by him, but not Winifred. She could never be frighten by him. Jonathan and her had too much history.

Now that she had his attention Winifred let out a small nostalgic smile. "Do you remember when I tried out for cheerleading?" Was that a random question? Yes. Did she care how doltish it sounded considering she was tied up? Nope. It was supposed to throw him off. And that's exactly what the question accomplished.

Underneath Crane's mask he frowned. _Huh?_ That was such a childish thing to bring up. "Why are you bringing that up? That's inconsequential now."

Winifred tilted her head. "Is it?" She questioned softly. "Because to me it's one of my favorite memories."

So she was going sentimental on him? Damn her. He'd be lying though if he said such memory didn't cross his mind just now. Crane ended up rolling his eyes. "Because you made the stupid squad." He dryly told her.

Winifred shook her head. "No, because you were there." She earnestly said to him. "Remember how nervous I was? You weren't even going to show up because you were worried about Josh and the others. But you did show up." Her blue eyes gleamed at such a memory. "You showed up and encouraged me. Like a _real_ friend. It might be just some silly high-school memory to you, but to me it's a memory I hold dear."

Crane much to his surprise looked away from Winifred. A full mental image of that she was speaking of entered his mind. He wasn't even going to go to that stupid cheerleading try-out, but he did end up going. And he had supported her from the bleachers. At first she had looked so scared and nervous but once she saw him her confidence grew. And afterwards she had ran up to him and hugged him. Crane very much remembered that moment now because it was the exact moment his feelings for her changed from just caring for her as a friend. Those very same feeling that still existed to this day. Feelings that were whispering to him to let her go.

As if sensing some sort of inner turmoil, Winifred spoke again. "Jonathan, despite everything that you have done to others and to me I still see you as my friend."

That thankfully made Crane regain his composure. He still wasn't looking at her. "You shouldn't." He replied somberly. "Not after spraying you with my fear toxin." That was something else he remembered. Oh how he remembered. His fear toxin had done its job on Winifred. But unlike with the others, like with her uncle, Crane took no joy in her fear state. Her loud cries still echoed in his ears. _"No! Get away! Don't touch me! Stop it!"_ Her yells weren't directed onto him and she hadn't been fighting him. No, in her mind she was fighting off someone else. Someone she had been severely afraid of. It wasn't later that Jonathan found out just who she had been imagining when under his fear toxin.

Winifred's earnest demeanor didn't falter. "But I do."

Crane finally looked her way again. " _Why_?" He asked, lowly. The word sounded so broken.

Winifred let out a huff. "I'm gonna hate admitting this but in a weird way the fear toxin helped me. Now by no means am I saying it's good, because it's not. It's awful, Jonathan. Except you left me no choice but to confront the fear I had for my father." Winifred closed her eyes to contain her strength. "For what he tried to do to me." When she opened her eyes again there was no sign of emotional weakness. "And now I'm free from that fear. I took control."

Winifred was just like her uncle. Crane had no doubt about that now. He should have felt no guilt. He's done far more awful things to others since he became Scarecrow, but he felt a rather familiar feeling of guilt still go through him. "I didn't know he was that vile." He admitted to her. "Of the gruesome act he tried to do to you... his own daughter." Underneath his mask Crane's facial features took a expression of anger. "That was unacceptable and for that I will apologize." After he said this he saw how her lips curl upwards a bit. Once again he became puzzled. "What?"

"You see that's why I still think of you as a friend." Winifred said to him. "Because deep down you're still the same old Jonathan."

Crane rushed towards her. By doing this he wanted to scare her into thinking she was wrong, but to his bemusement she wasn't even the least bit startled. She remained calmed as ever. He stopped just a few feet away from where she was tied up. He had no idea just how much of an advantage this would soon give her. "No, I'm not." He insisted glaring down at her.

"Yes, you are." Winifred stared directly up into his blue eyes. "You're my friend."

There was a moment of silence before Crane spoke again. "Friend." He said the word as if he were saying it for the first time. "Such a over used emotional term...but perhaps..." His glare on her faltered.

Winifred took notice to this and the hope she had multiplied. Maybe she was finally getting through to him. Maybe she wouldn't have to go with plan A and instead go with plan B. "Perhaps what?"

Crane right then and there was starting to see her as Winifred Gordon. The girl who had stood up for him against school bullies. The girl he had befriended. The girl who had danced with him at that cheesy high-school dance he had gone to. The girl he had gotten feelings for. The girl who despite his inward protests, still cared for deeply. Except just when he was returning back to his old self, Scarecrow switched back. Those piercing blue eyes of his glared down at her again. "Perhaps that makes you an even bigger idiot than I thought for using it."

Winifred sighed, disappointed. Guess she would have to go with plan A after all. That sucked. She couldn't help but feel awful for what she was about to do. She put on a nonchalant act, shrugging her shoulders. "That's one way of seeing it. But there's something you're not fully aware of still." She said giving him a even-tempered expression.

Her unruffled attitude had Crane muddled. He leaned closer to her. It was a move he would later berate himself for doing. "And what would that be?"

Winifred stared blankly at him before she acted our her escape plan. Without even giving him a real chance to defend himself Winifred leaped from the chair she had been tied in. Using all her strength, she punched Jonathan. Even with that mask of his she got a good hit. It was a well enough executed punch that it knocked him to the floor. She kept her guard up for a few seconds as she stared down at his lanky body. Once Winifred knew for sure that he wasn't getting up, she let out a sigh.

"You guys suck at tying rope." She said as she continued to stare at his unconscious form. Her eyes suddenly softened with regret. "I'm sorry, Jonathan." She uttered but despite the regret she felt for hitting him, she rationalized that she was left with no choice. He wouldn't have let her live peacefully and she just simply couldn't stay there any longer. She needed to get the hell out of there before Jerome or Jervis showed up again. And that's exactly what she did.

Not sparing Jonathan another look, Winifred carefully smashed whatever materials he had for the fear toxin. After doing so she then ran out from the hideout they had her in. And as she ran she kept thinking about the chaos Jerome and Jervis were probably causing in Gotham.

Knowing them it was bad. Real bad. And once Jerome found out she's escaped..well...that certainly wasn't going to get a happy reaction from him now was it?


End file.
